Unwinding Beckett
by deutschkatze2006
Summary: After a particularly difficult case, Castle takes Beckett on vacation to the Hamptons. NOW COMPLETE!
1. The Set Up

Unwinding Beckett

Chapter 1: The Set Up

After wrapping up yet another case, Detective Kate Beckett sat alone in the bullpen completing paperwork. Castle had gone home hours before, claiming that he needed to spend some time with his daughter before she went away to Princeton in the fall.

Being alone gave her time to reflect on the events that had transpired the last few days. The case had been especially hard on her. Beckett always took pride in the fact that she was good at doing her job while keeping her emotions at bay, but this time it had hit too close to home. Lanie had called in saying that a middle aged woman in her late thirties was found stabbed to death in an alley. Her husband and daughter had come home late after having eaten at a local diner. The detective could still envision the pain in the girl's eyes as she told them what had happened. Kate had made sure that she examined every possible suspect thoroughly in order to provide closure.

Castle watched Beckett wear herself down day after day over this case. He felt that she was taking the case entirely too personally, but he never said a word. Knowing Beckett, she probably wouldn't have taken his criticism very well. He hated watching her like this. He wished that he could make her anguish go away. She never knew he was watching her, but he would often see her swipe at an angry tear hat threatened to fall after a particular suspect's alibi checked out, or the evidence collected was found to be useless.

As it turns out, the girl's jealous boyfriend murdered her mother in the end…and for what? A crime of passion. The boy had gotten so infuriated with her mother's constant badgering about the late hours that her daughter was keeping, and had suggested several times that the daughter curtail the dates that they would have so that she would be able to get to bed at a decent hour so that she would be able to be focused for her classes and the internship that she was taking part in.

Beckett ran her fingers through her hair for the thousandth time as she stood up and began clearing all of the pictures of the suspects and notes that were written on the murder board. Her mind wandered to her own mother, who had passed away in a similar fashion years ago, but whose murder had never been solved. Her own pain came to light as she remembered the day that she and her father came home and found the detective waiting for them with the horrifying news. She gently moved her fingers to the necklace she wore around her neck, grabbing hold of the ring that was laying there. She closed her eyes and silently begged the Powers That Be for the justice she so desperately sought.

She was so focused on her own thoughts that she never heard the approaching footsteps. Kate realized she was being watched the instant she heard the familiar voice behind her.

Castle.

"Hey, I thought you might still be here. What's going on? Shouldn't you be at home?" he asked, brows furrowing out of concern as he came to stand beside her.

"Nothing's wrong, Castle. What are you doing here, anyway? Shouldn't you be spending time with Alexis?" She countered, not bothering to make eye contact.

She couldn't bring herself to look at him. The emotions that she was still feeling were still raw, and she felt that if she looked at him even for a second, that she might break.

Castle, however, wasn't about to ignore that. He gently took her arm and brought her around to face him. Taking only a finger and placing it under her chin, he made Kate's eyes come into contact with his. He wasn't prepared for the pain he saw there, nor the tears that threatened to fall.

"In answer to your question, Alexis dismissed me after dinner. She said she wanted to spend some time with Ashley tonight. Secondly, you're not fine. Stop lying. I can see you're hurting, so I'll ask you again. What's wrong?"

At his words, Beckett crumbled. Castle pulled her into a tight hug and ran a hand through her hair. He was at a loss for what to do to comfort her, and was surprised that she was letting him see her in such a vulnerable state.

After a few minutes, Beckett took a calming breath and tipped her head back to look at Castle. Her makeup was smudged, and her mascara was now running in black streaks down her face.

"I don't know why I keep doing this," she began, sniffing and wiping her face with the back of her hand.

"Doing what?" he pressed her, worry being transformed into concern and frustration. When she didn't answer, he tried again. "Kate?"

Beckett closed her eyes, trying to focus on forming an answer. "Putting myself through all of this pain. This last case was horrible. It reminded me of my mother's in a lot of ways. On the one hand, I'm glad I was able to help out and find that girl's mother's killer. However, part of me wishes that I could find that for my own as well. What the hell is wrong with me, Castle? Why is it so easy for me to bring closure to others, but I can't turn around and do the same for myself?"

Castle's expression softened. He had obviously not been expecting that. He considered her for a moment, and then plowed ahead.

"You want to know what I think?" he began, "I think you need a break from all of this. You have been working entirely too hard and have been wearing yourself down for a long time. When was the last time you've taken a vacation, or even a day to yourself that didn't involve you working on something related to your mother?"

"I haven't taken any time off since you met me, Castle. You, of all people, should know that," she snapped. She wasn't really willing to have this conversation, and the way Castle kept looking at her was making her feel a little uneasy.

"Well, I'm taking some time off and am going to the Hamptons for a week. Alexis is busy trying to spend some time with Ashley and some of her friends, and my mother is off on one of her life coaching retreats. I was going to go up there because I need to get some writing done. I would really like it if you would come with me. You could relax on the beach or something. Let your hair down. I realize you might not want to, but I think it might do you some good," he finished.

"I don't have the time to go off gallivanting with you. I have paperwork to do. Murders to solve."

"Suit yourself, Beckett. I've got some packing to do and some loose ends to tie up. I just came here to tell you I was leaving."

"You did that. Now go away and stop harassing me. I have work to do, remember? Go bother someone else," she said, rolling her eyes.

"As a matter of fact, I do have someone I need to "bother" before I leave, as you so eloquently put it. Thanks for reminding me," Castle replied, completely letting go of Beckett and exiting the precinct.

Little did Beckett know, Castle had a plot forming….


	2. Getting Roy Involved

Chapter 2:

Getting Roy Involved

Richard Castle was famous in the 12th Precinct of New York for pulling off various stupid ideas. However, none of them paled in comparison to his latest, which was to essentially force Kate Beckett to go on vacation with him to the Hamptons. He knew that she might be a little mad when she found out about it, but also knew she would enjoy a week of constant pampering and detoxing herself from the day to day murder and gore she referred to in their last conversation. He never knew she felt that way about her job. She had always kept herself very professional in the workplace and never let anyone too close to seeing any emotions. He doubted that even Lanie knew what was going on in her head. When he got back to his loft and went to bed (not before checking on Alexis and kissing her lightly on the temple) all he could think about was his conversation with Beckett and the painful look on her face. He realized he hadn't stopped thinking about her during the whole case, but now he realized he was in deep trouble.

He cared for her, that much was certain. However, he wasn't completely sure about Beckett's feelings about him. He had tried not to make things blatantly obvious, to which he felt like he was doing a pretty good job. Everyone else, however, seemed to notice that there might be something between them. Esposito and Ryan often commented on their little spats they would have, or comment on the way he shadowed her. His answer was always the same: "It's for research". He knew he was only kidding himself. One look at her when she walked up to him on the first day of their very first case together, and Richard Castle, award winning author and bachelor, was hooked. He might have had a few distractions along the way that deterred him for a while, but he wasn't the only one. Jealousy drove him nuts every time she decided to go out on a date with another man.

Her relationship with Demming made his blood boil. Even though he told himself he only wanted to see her happy, what he really wanted to do, deep down, was mark her for his own so that every eligible man in the state of New York (and even in the world) could see that she was spoken for. At his going away party, he thought he might have seen a glimmer of what she felt, but then Gina showed up and Beckett seemed to close herself off again. This plan he had in store for her was a good way (he thought to himself) to express the way he felt about her. So he called the one person that he knew could help him out.

Roy Montgomery.

"Castle? What's the matter? Do you realize what time it is?"

Oops. He looked at the clock on his bedside table to find that it was a little after midnight. Roy had been most assuredly asleep. The old man sounded gruff and annoyed, so Castle knew that he had best get to the point as quickly as possible so that the Captain could get some sleep.

"Nothing's wrong, sir. Well, I take that back. Something's wrong with Beckett," he paused, hoping that Roy would take the bait and be willing to help.

"What's wrong with Kate? She seemed fine when I left this evening for home. What did you do? Did you do something to hurt her? Do I have to come and personally kick your ass?" Roy retorted, concerned.

"No, sir. I didn't hurt her, I swear. So no ass kicking. I was actually calling because I'm concerned about her mental and emotional health. As her friend, I've been noticing that she's been throwing herself into countless cases without taking a break for herself. I'm starting to get a little worried…"

Roy cut him off. "She's been doing that for as long as I can remember. She's one of my best detectives. I'm sure she's fine. She would have said something by now."

"With all due respect, sir….you didn't witness her crying in the bullpen when no one else was around," Castle replied.

"She did what now? Does she know you're calling? She'd kick your ass if she ever found out. After she was done with you, she'd chew me out. What do you want? What do you suggest I do about this?"

"Make her go on vacation with me," Castle replied simply, "for a whole week. I just want to be able to show her that not all the world is murder, blood and gore. Things could be beautiful as well."

There was a long pause on the other end of the line before any sort of reply was heard. Roy let out a sigh. "She's going to be mad at you, you know. I'm not responsible for what she's going to do with you. However, I have two questions to ask before I even think about helping you. What exactly is driving you to suddenly pull this very extravagant scheme? You're not just doing this in order to make her into another notch on your bedpost, are you? If that's true, then I'll kick your ass for her."

"I'm not completely sure about how I feel about her. I was kind of hoping that this trip would help me find out. I don't really want to make that jump without knowing how she feels first. She's been such a good friend that I don't really want to mess things up with her. That's really all I was hoping to gain. To be honest, I have thought about what sleeping with her would be like, but then I realized that I didn't want just sex with her. I'm getting kind of old for that stuff to be happening, and I also need to start being a better role model for Alexis. I realize that I should have done that long ago. With all that being said, will you help me?" Rick finished hopefully.

"Fine. I'll help. She can have next week off to "relax" or whatever with you. However, if this gets out that I helped you, your ass is mine. Now, if you don't mind, I'd love to go back to sleep now. Some of us have actual jobs, remember?"

"Thank you, sir! You won't regret it!" Castle said excitedly, his brain already working on the next stage of his plan…..

A/N: Sorry I haven't written as quickly as I know some of you would like. I'm writing out chapters right now as fast as I can. Also, I've been frustrated because as I finished this chapter and tried to post it, the site refused to let me log in...prompting anger and swearing out of me. I love all of the reviews, story alerts and Favorite Story emails I've been getting lately. They have really been brightening my day and have motivated me into thinking of ideas a lot faster. Please keep the reviews coming!


	3. Setting Beckett Straight

Chapter 3:

Setting Beckett Straight

Kate Beckett went inside her apartment and headed straight for her bedroom. Without bothering to even change clothes, she flopped down on her bed and tried to close her eyes. However, she soon found that sleep was going to elude her. Her thoughts refused to stop racing long enough for her to even feel how tired she really was. She thought of the past week's events and how the case had taken many interesting turns, how many long hours she had stood in front of the murder board, pondering the evidence and the different scenarios. Her thoughts then took a very different turn as she realized that while all of this was going on, Castle had been right there with her, offering support, coffee, and helping form theories. Even though this was something he always did for her, she felt somehow that this time something had changed. She was beginning to realize that she needed him.

At this realization, her eyes snapped open. She rolled over, grabbed her phone off her nightstand and proceeded to call her best friend and medical examiner, Lanie Parrish. Lanie always was trying to push Castle on Beckett, so Beckett figured that Lanie wouldn't mind having a Castle-centered conversation that didn't center around her annoyance with him. Right now, she decided that she was more annoyed with herself.

Lanie sounded alarmed when she picked up the phone. "Kate? What's wrong? Are you okay?"

"Why does everyone keep asking me that? What, do I seem like I'm on the verge of freaking out or something? First Castle, and now you."

"We're just concerned, is all. You've been stressed lately. I can tell you haven't been sleeping. You've been snapping at Castle more than usual, and have even been short tempered with the boys. So, either you start telling me what's going on, or I'll have to call Castle to help drag answers out of you. Jesus, Kate! You can't keep going like this. You're shutting everyone out. I hate to say it, but soon you might not have anyone left to keep you from running and reliving your nightmares. So I'll ask you again. What the hell is wrong with you?"

"This case scared me, Lanie. It brought back all the memories I wanted to forget. Things about my mother. The pain I felt when that detective was there. The difference between that girl and me? She got closure. I never did. The whole time that I struggled with this, Castle was there getting in my face. I didn't mean to snap at him as much as I had, but I needed to release all the emotions he was trying to make me feel." Kate explained, managing to offer her best explanation without breaking down.

"What emotions were those?" Lanie asked, puzzled.

"He was trying to protect me and make sure that I wasn't being eaten away all over again. I have never had a guy want to do that for me before. Then, to top it all off, he invites me to go off on vacation with him—"

"Wait," Lanie cut her off. "He did WHAT? When did this happen? How did I miss this?"

"He asked me tonight. He came back to the precinct after everyone went home. Apparently, Alexis "dismissed him" to go spend some time with her boyfriend, so he came looking for me. I was cleaning up when he found me, but I was a little upset. Again, the memories were getting to me. So, when Castle showed up, we hashed it out again. He said he thought I needed a vacation. He mentioned that he was going away to the Hamptons for a while so that he could get his writing done. He said that he thought it might be a good idea if I went with him so that I could relax and focus on something else for a while," Beckett paused, waiting for Lanie's reaction.

"Well, are you going to go? Have you given him an answer yet? What did you say?" Lanie asked, almost breathess with excitement for her friend.

"I told him that I didn't have the time. I have work to do. Murders don't stop because I'm on vacation. Besides, I'm pretty sure that Castle's only interested in me going because he thinks it might make him lucky. I'm sorry, Lanie. I just don't want to be another notch on his bedpost. I'm so much better than that." Beckett finished.

"Do you honestly think that that's really what he thinks of you? Seriously? Girl, I'mma smack you. That man follows you around with his tongue hanging out, that's for sure. However, have you even bothered to open your eyes and see the way he looks at you? The man is willing to take you on vacation! Hell, if I were you, I'd be all over that in a heartbeat! The man cares for you. I think you care for him too, and that scares you. So, here's my opinion: you're going to accept that man's invitation, go to the Hamptons for the week, and have the time of your life. Oh, and if Writer Boy decides to make a move, you're going to let him." Lanie demanded.

"That's the most ridiculous thing I've ever heard! Castle could have any woman that he wanted. Why would he even bother looking at me?"

"Why wouldn't he? You're smart, sexy and give him a run for his money. You don't let him walk all over you, and you're the only one he could even consider a challenge because you seem to be immune to his charm. However, I don't think those are the only reasons why he's attracted to you. You're just going to have to ask him that someday yourself. Might I suggest bringing that up while on vacation with him? That seems like a good idea. He couldn't exactly avoid you then." Lanie countered.

Damn, Beckett realized. Lanie had a valid point. However, something else nagged at her.

"What if it doesn't work?" she asked her friend. "What if I say yes, go on vacation, open up to him about things, and then everything falls apart? He's a good friend. I don't want to do anything that might make me lose him. I've seen it happen before…two people open up that can of worms and then they end up resenting each other and everything that they stand for. I don't want that for us. I can't let that happen. I'd rather sit in silence," Beckett worried, trying to make her friend see her position on how absolutely insane this whole situation was.

Lanie shook off Beckett's fears. She knew that some of what she said was true, but she could easily see that her friend was deflecting the situation. Kate never really enjoyed having serious conversations about Castle, especially when it came to talking about how she really felt about him. She supposed that that would all come in due time.

"Shut up, Kate. You're just being stupid now. Look, I want you to go on this trip because you really do need a break from things. I also think that it could be fun and that you would really enjoy yourself. A hunky guy who just so happens to be one of your best friends wants you to have a good time. You said he's going to be working, right? So, he's probably not going to be all over you as much as you think he's going to be. Stop worrying. You'll be fine. Now, as much fun as this conversation has been tonight, we do have work tomorrow. Get some sleep." Lanie said tiredly.

"Fine. Sorry, I bothered you, Lanie. Have a good night." Kate sighed.

"You didn't bother me, Kate. I'm here for you anytime you need me. All you have to do is ask. Good night."

After hanging up with Lanie, Beckett replaced her phone on her nightstand, rolled over and tried once again to fall asleep.

Morning, however, would bring Beckett a surprise that she never would have expected…

A/N: Thanks to all who are still with me! This chapter was half written when I posted my second chapter, but I never had the chance to finish it because work got in the way. Luckily, today is my day off, and I've had the chance to think of an abundance of new ideas for this story. Reviews are like candy; keep them coming!


	4. The Plan in Motion

Chapter 4:

The Plan in Motion

Dawn came a little too quickly for Beckett. She didn't sleep as well as she would have liked. Her conversation with Lanie and Beckett's personal feelings had meshed together, creating a myriad of emotions that she was trying very hard to ignore. Today was definitely not her day, she decided as she dragged herself slowly out of bed to shower and get ready for work. By the time Beckett had parked her car, gotten on the elevator and made her way into the building, she had almost successfully put all things concerning a certain writer out of her mind. That quickly changed when she was quickly called in to Captain Montgomery's office as soon as she made it in to the bullpen.

"Beckett! Come here!" Captain Montgomery called. He was still a little pissed from last night's wakeup call from Castle, but after having a few hours of sleep to think about it, he found the whole idea that Castle proposed to be highly amusing. He couldn't wait to see the look on Beckett's face when he played his part in Castle's plan.

Beckett sighed. She felt like she didn't even get to her desk before she was in trouble. She turned and walked briskly into the Captain's office, where she was very quick to discover that she wasn't alone. Standing before her was not only Roy, but Castle as well. Castle seemed to have the funniest look on his face, like he was almost smug. She couldn't quite place that look, but it made her very uneasy.

"So, Beckett, would you care to enlighten me about what is going on? Why exactly would my best detective be caught crying alone in the bullpen? I could classify that as highly unprofessional, you know. So, what was it? Stress? Memories? What?" he demanded, trying to make his displeasure clear to her. He hoped he sounded convincing because he really felt like he was doing a terrible job at this acting business.

"Yeah, I guess I was just really stressed out, sir. It won't ever happen again. Might I ask how you heard about my outburst?" she inquired, looking right at Castle with a death glare. She knew exactly who said it. She wasn't stupid. However, what she wanted was a verbal confirmation of her suspicions. Esposito and Ryan would have never pulled something like this. They knew better. This had Castle written all over it.

"Why does it matter? The fact still stands. Listen, I'm putting my foot down. You have worked entirely too hard. You deserve a break. I know you're never going to take a break on your own, so I'm ordering you to take a mandatory vacation. I'm giving you a week to relax. You are not to even come near this precinct until next week, and if I catch you in here before your vacation time is up, I'm going to have to take necessary measures of disciplinary action. Now, I hear that Castle has offered to take you to the Hamptons with him. That sounds like a wonderful vacation place to me. Therefore, you're going with him. You chickened out, Beckett. You're going whether you like it or not."

Beckett opened her mouth to protest, but was quickly cut off again.

"Do we understand each other, Detective? You and Castle, going on a mandatory vacation for a week together?"

Beckett scowled. "Oh, I heard you. I was hoping that either you're joking, or that this is a horrible nightmare. If you're joking, it's not funny. As far as this being a nightmare, I'm going to start slapping myself awake."

"Well, I guess this is a nightmare, then. This is definitely not a joke. You apparently leave later on this evening, so I'm ordering you to go home and get ready. Oh, and Beckett? Have some fun and lighten up, will you?" Roy said with a smile.

Beckett couldn't form a response. The annoyance she felt at first suddenly flared into anger. She couldn't believe that this was actually happening. Her heart seemed to stop as she suddenly realized that she wouldn't be able to hide from Castle while she was with him. She was afraid that she would do something stupid that would betray the feelings that she was trying so hard to keep to herself. She was still fighting the confusion. This was definitely going to be a challenge. She stormed off towards the exit to the precinct, aware that she was being followed. Castle's telltale footsteps echoed behind her as he struggled to catch up.

"Kate! Wait up!" Castle yelled.

She spun around to face him then, cheeks red and eyes blazing with fire. Castle stopped and stared at her. He couldn't look away from her if he tried. She was absolutely stunning. He didn't even notice she was speaking to him because he was too busy staring at her cherry colored lips and wondering what it would be like if he just leaned in and took a quick taste. However, that wasn't meant to be, for she had quickly picked up on the fact that he wasn't listening to anything she was saying. She then grabbed him by the ear and dragged him to the parking lot.

"Castle, focus! What the hell is wrong with you? I said no, remember? So, what possessed you to go out of your way to Montgomery? I can't afford the time off. I need you to go back in there and tell Montgomery that you were just kidding. I'll even provide you with a little view of what would happen if we were to even vacation together. You would do something stupid, and I would kill you for it. After that, you'd repeat. There. We don't need this unnecessary trip."

"Look, if it's money you're worried about, I'm more than willing to compensate you for this. I'll match your weekly earnings and then add twenty percent. I just wanted to do something nice for you since you're always giving so much of yourself on a daily basis. We leave early tonight, so I'd suggest we start heading home to pack. Bring some warm clothing, and maybe a swimsuit or two. I have an indoor pool and Jacuzzi that are for your personal use."

"Wait, slow down. You are NOT going to pay me to go on vacation with you. That's just insane. Anyone else would be happy to accept that very generous offer. I just can't do it. Secondly, you're just doing this so you can see me in a bathing suit. That's just so…creepy. I'm only doing this because the Captain ordered me to. If you try any funny business, I do sleep with a gun and am not afraid to use it," she clarified. Her thoughts suddenly shifted to the simple fact that she didn't even own a swimsuit. She worked almost nonstop, so the only time she ever got any exercise or leisure time to herself was when she used the gym in the basement of the precinct.

"Then we're agreed. I've asked Lanie to take the day off as well to help with whatever you need. I'll be by your apartment at seven to pick you up. The drive is going to take at least four hours, so be sure that you have an iPod or something to keep you entertained. While we're there, I'd like for you to read through my manuscript as I write it. I'd love to have your feedback."

"You, Richard Castle, are going to let me help you write your manuscript? You've never needed anyone's help before, so why now? What gives?"

"Well, I can't seem to get over my writer's block. Everything I have written so far doesn't seem to flow as nicely as I would like it to, and I'm starting to feel like I have no idea what my characters are doing. I figured that since you're my number one fan, you'd be more than willing to help me," he replied honestly.

Kate stared at him, stunned. "I hardly think that I'm your number one fan," she said. "I've never begged you to sign my chest or tattooed your name on my butt."

"That just means you're not crazy or stalking me. I don't think I wouldn't enjoy working with you if you were like those people. Enough with the chitchat! We've got to go," he said, grabbing her arm and pulling her in the direction of her car.

This was going to be the best vacation Kate Beckett had ever been on…..

A/N: I don't know why, but this chapter really bugged me to write for some reason. I've edited it several times, and I'm still not completely happy with the way it turned out. Anyway, let me know what you guys think….your reviews provide real honesty and I appreciate the time you take to write feedback. Feel free to even send me a message with ideas about where to take this…I'd love to incorporate some of your ideas as well!


	5. Of Shopping and Surprises

Chapter 5:

After dropping Castle off at his loft, Kate called Lanie to meet her at her apartment. She needed to make sure that she didn't leave anything that she would need for her trip, and Lanie was always helpful when it came to things regarding fashion. She always struggled when it came to getting ready for things that involved Castle in some way as well. She supposed it was because she was trying to impress him in a way. Reflecting on it, it seemed silly to her, but that was the only logical explanation she could come up with to describe her actions.

Lanie showed up ten minutes later. Kate was busy in her bedroom packing necessary toiletries when her friend walked into her apartment.

"Kate?" Lanie called. "I'm here. Where are you?"

"Bedroom," Beckett answered.

Lanie walked the short distance to Kate's room and gasped. If Lanie hadn't known better, she would have said that Kate's room had been trashed. Clothes were piled up everywhere, and various other items were scattered randomly throughout the room.

"I need help," Kate said. "I don't know what to take with me. Castle says to bring a swimsuit for the indoor pool and Jacuzzi, but he didn't really say much else. That's one thing I definitely need. I haven't gone bathing suit shopping in ages, and I can't seem to find the top anywhere. I know it's irrational to be upset about this situation, but this makes me a little uncomfortable. I mean, I'm not his girlfriend. He even offered to pay me my weekly salary and add twenty percent to give me some incentive to go. I told him he was absolutely nuts for even offering."

"Kate, I love you. I really do, but you need to lighten up a little. The guy's just trying to do something nice, remember? He's not out to get you. He's one of your closest friends. Even though I think that paying you to go is a little on the extreme side, I can kind of see why he offered. He doesn't know what's going on with you. You've been freaking out on him quite a bit since he brought the idea up. Now, come on. Grab your purse and come with me. We need to do some serious shopping," Lanie replied.

"What's wrong with the clothes that I have?" Kate inquired, crossing her arms over her chest.

"Nothing except for the fact that my grandmother dresses better. Do you at least own anything from the last decade?" she said as she picked up a pair of Kate's extremely conservative underwear. "This," she emphasized, "Is scary. We need to fix this immediately. No one should ever wear this."

Kate sighed again for what seemed like the thousandth time. This was definitely turning into a nightmare. Kate grabbed her keys, purse and wallet and they both hastily departed.

The trip took longer than expected, but Lanie made sure that it was worth it. They had accumulated a mountain of shopping bags, each filled with cute dresses, tops, and pants. Lanie was slowly leading up to the grand finale: taking Kate to Victoria's Secret in order to hopefully buy something appropriate for Castle.

As they drew closer to the store, Kate suddenly caught on. She stopped dead in her tracks and would have turned and walked in the other direction had Lanie not grabbed her arm.

"No way, Lanie. I know what you're trying to do, which is both very sweet and slightly creepy at the exact same time."

"Look, Kate. It's not for Castle, okay. I mean, I'm not going to lie that the thought hasn't crossed my mind once or twice. Haven't you ever just wanted to feel sexy?"

"I don't see him being interested in me in that way, Lanie. He could have any girl he wanted. Today was a nice day. Thanks, really. I didn't really know how much I needed it. "

"I'm seriously going to smack you. Now, stop stalling," Lanie said, rolling her eyes.

Several hours, infinite amounts of protests, and hundreds of dollars later, Lanie was finally satisfied with the amount of things that Kate purchased. While Kate had been busy trying on countless outfits, Lanie had been busy buying some ensembles for Kate to sneak in with the stuff they had previously bought. Kate would kill her if she saw what she had gotten. She bought Kate a black lace bustier and matching thong that also included a garter belt and stockings. She also ordered some black stiletto heels to match and had them shipped to Castle's house in the Hamptons. They were to be delivered the next day. She also bought a blood red satin nightie for her that also didn't leave much to the imagination. Finally, she also snuck in two push up bras, one the color of sapphires, the other a vibrant green, with satin panties in both colors to match.

After shopping, they went to eat a light dinner together at Remy's and then went back to Kate's apartment again to pack. Lanie sat on Kate's bed watching her as she managed to shove all of the clothing they bought into a tiny suitcase. Lanie was busy texting Castle the whole time. She knew that they had forgotten to buy Kate a swimsuit today, so she told Castle to pick something out for her. She also told Castle that she had bought Castle a special surprise courtesy of Kate, and that he should ask her about it later.

Lanie left shortly after, leaving Kate to wait alone in her apartment for Castle to show up. He knocked on her door at exactly seven. She unlocked the door and let him in, gesturing to the suitcase she had packed.

"Ready to go?" she asked awkwardly, not knowing exactly what to say.

"Yeah. Hey, listen…Lanie told me to ask you about a surprise that you have for me. What is it?" he inquired curiously.

"Surprise? I don't know what she's referring to. I mean, we did go shopping today, but I didn't buy anything for you. Besides, I don't think Victoria's Secret sells lingerie for men," she teased.

"You went to Victoria's Secret without me? Now, that's just mean!" he exclaimed with mock astonishment. One of these days, he decided, he was going to go through her stuff to see what she had packed. His curiosity was burning intensely inside him.

Kate rolled her eyes and picked up her suitcase. Castle took the hint and opened the door for her, letting her exit the apartment first. Her then offered her an arm, which she gladly took.

This began a vacation that neither of them would ever forget….

A/N: I'm sorry if Beckett seems a little crazy. To be honest, I was honestly trying to stress the internal struggle that she is having about her feelings with Castle. I'll try to keep the angst that she feels about the situation down to a minimum so as not to annoy anyone. Much love!

As always, REVIEW!


	6. Of Nighttime Driving and Musings

Chapter 6:

Of Nighttime Driving and Musings

The drive to the Hamptons was less than eventful. Beckett surprised Castle by letting him drive for once, to which he acted like a two year old and scampered to the driver's side and started the car before she could change her mind. He never seemed to amaze her with his boyish ways, but yet she hoped that this would never change. She would never admit it to him, but she often found herself wanting to laugh out loud at the things he would do.

They spent the first hour of the ride in silence, with Kate looking out the window into the darkness. They seemed to be getting farther and farther away from civilization with every passing second. The stars shone like brilliant beacons in the night sky. It definitely took her breath away. She had definitely never seen such grandeur living in New York. The city lights made the stars almost disappear. She wondered whether or not Castle's retreat in the Hamptons had this sort of view in store for her. He had mentioned that there was an ocean view and had showed her pictures which had given her hints of its beauty, but that didn't stop the wonder.

Eventually, Castle pulled into a gas station about halfway through the trip and got out to fill the car with gas. Kate got out as well in order to stretch her legs and walk around. She looked once again at the sky and immersed herself in her thoughts. It still amazed her that she was on vacation, much less that she was with Castle. Things were definitely changing between them.

She didn't even register that Castle had walked up behind her until she felt his arms circle around her to pull her against his chest. She tensed for a second before relaxing into his touch.

"Penny for your thoughts?" Castle asked, turning a little so that he could see her face. She had seemed to be someplace far away from where he was. He wondered at first if she was thinking about the case again, but she didn't seem to be as agitated as she had been. This side of Kate he was experiencing was the softer, more deeply pensive one. He honestly doubted that she would let him in on this secret revelation that she was experiencing.

"It's so beautiful here. It's almost untouched by man. The stars? You don't get to see those in New York. I've never been to a place where I could have such a clear view of them before. When I learned about the stars when I was little, I often wondered what it would be like to go up there and see them up close. I'd like to think my mom is up there among them, watching me. Well, I guess she'd be watching the both of us right now. I'm sorry if I've been harsh on you these past few days. I've just been so wrapped up in everything about this case that I guess I had forgotten that everyone was just trying to do everything to help. Then, you went and offered this opportunity to go on vacation with you, and when I resisted, you got the Captain involved. I should be really pissed at you, but right now, I've decided to let it go. You're just being a good friend and looking out for me," she said, turning to look at him. She kissed him lightly on the cheek. "Thanks," she finished, before detangling herself from his hold entirely and walking back to the car.

Castle put a hand on the spot where Beckett had kissed it moments before. He mentally shook himself and ran to catch up to her. They both got back into the car and continued making their way. He wanted to talk to her about what had transpired earlier, but as he turned to do so, he discovered that Beckett was fast asleep. She looked so beautiful and peaceful as she slept, he thought, so full of innocence without a care in the world. He hoped that this trip would continue to be a pleasant experience for her and that she would let him in on more of her secrets. Mentally, he was already planning a few surprises for her.

What she had said about him being a good friend bothered him for some reason. Of course he was her friend, but he wanted to be so much more than that to her. He thought back to the night before when he had discussed his failed invitation with his mother. She didn't help matters at all. If nothing else, she made him feel more humiliated.

"I just don't understand, Mother," he had said. "I just want to do something nice for her. What's the harm in that? Why can't she see that as a good thing?"

His mother had laughed at him heartily, but then sobered up when she saw that he was angry. "Richard, you can't be serious," she replied. "Detective Beckett probably thinks that your reputation is preceding you. She's probably thinking of the countless times you might have done the same thing for other women. She's a special girl. Beckett has actual standards. Why exactly are you doing this? You've seen her upset over a case before. Therefore, I think you should ask yourself as to what your real motive is," Martha added, "Because if you don't tell her the truth and tell her a lie, she can see right through you."

He knew something was different about Kate the instant that he met her. He supposed it was because of the way she seemed so disinterested in being with him that really drove him nuts. He loved the way she moved, and he could watch her all day and never get enough. She was brilliant; she never ceased to amaze him with her wit and charm. They had chemistry, of that he was most certain. However, was that going to be enough to sustain things between the two of them if one of them made a move?

His thoughts drifted from his mother's impression to that of his daughter, Alexis. She had been sleeping when he decided to pop in and share his pensive thoughts with her. She didn't seem to understand what was going on at first, but her mind worked through the cobwebs of sleep to comprehend what her father was telling her. She knew long before he had how her father felt about Beckett. She was elated to find that he was coming into his own light and realizing it for himself. She listened to the plans that he had made for the two of them up in the Hamptons, and even encouraged him to keep thinking of new ways to show her he cared.

"She's the kind of woman who needs you to provide ample amounts of evidence to her before she makes any decision. Have you ever known her to do anything spontaneous without thoroughly outlining all the possible consequences first? I can see the way you look at her, dad. I may be young for my age, but I'm definitely not stupid. I've never seen you this happy or motivated to do anything for a woman in my entire life. Well, scratch that. I've never seen you drop everything to be with a woman that's not related to you. Usually when Gram calls, you grumble or something, or you ignore her. When Beckett calls, you answer her almost every time. Or if you don't, you call her back as soon as you realize she had called. You stayed with her while that serial killer was after her. You've put your life on the line hundreds of times. Gram and I worry ourselves sick over you every time you both go off chasing bad guys. All I'm saying is, if you don't love her, then I think you should stop," Alexis said.

He didn't realize how long he had been musing to himself until he realized that they had pulled up to his vacation home. Glancing again at Kate's still sleeping face, he decided he was going to make the first stupid decision of the night. Getting out of the car, he quietly moved over to her side of the car and unlocked the door. Opening it as quietly as he could, he gently unhooked her seatbelt and gathered her up into his arms. She was surprisingly lightweight for a person her size, he realized. Walking as evenly as he could with her, he managed to get her all the way to his front door before he discovered he had a slight problem. His keys to the house were in his back pocket, but his hands were busy holding her up. He gently set her on her feet, and pinned her against the wall with his hips to keep her from falling. He managed to get the door unlocked and open before he noticed that he was pressed intimately up against her, and that sudden realization made all the blood in his head run south. He shifted to move, but froze as he heard the sexiest moan emanate from Beckett's lips.

Castle looked to the sky and silently cursed himself and their predicament, because suddenly his mind was filled with very un-partnerly type thoughts. Scooping her up once again before heading inside, he then kicked the door shut and proceeded to carry her up into the guest room so that she could sleep more comfortably in the bed there. He didn't think she'd enjoy it if he took her to his room like he wanted to. Placing her on the bed, he then took her shoes off and placed them in the closet. Knowing that the jeans she was wearing would probably get uncomfortable later, he took those off her too, then drew the covers down to slide her beneath them. She was probably going to kill him for the state of undress that she was going to find herself in when morning came, but he was too concerned about her to really care. He covered her up and gently kissed her forehead before leaving to lock the front door and retire to his own room to sleep.

However, sleep would not come easily…..

A/N: Okay, I guess that this fic is turning out to be slightly more AU than I originally intended. I hope that everyone is still with me and still enjoys what I write. Lately I've been feeling a little discouraged at how yucky the storyline got, so I had to take a few days to think some things through. I hope that you had as much fun reading this chapter as I had writing it! As always, please review!


	7. Day One, Part One

Chapter 7:

Day One, Part One

The rest of the night for Castle was pure hell in silence. After putting Beckett to bed, he wandered the house in order to clear his head of the thoughts that she had unintentionally planted into his head. Just the thought of her sleeping in the next room in her underwear and wondering what her legs would feel like when they were wrapped around him in the heat of passion kept him awake with a permanent hard on. He had never been as interested in a woman as he was with her. So after hours of tossing and turning, he finally got up to make her some breakfast, intending for her to have it in bed. He was just about finished with his feast when he heard the most gut wrenching scream emanate from Beckett's room.

Shit, he thought. He was hoping to have a little more time before she woke up and processed her state of undress. Obviously, That was not to be, he chuckled to himself as he hurriedly put some of the food he made on a plate and poured Beckett a fresh cup of coffee.

Beckett had awoken well rested, in a bed she didn't recognize. That wouldn't have bothered her in the least, except for the fact that something had felt a little off. Deciding to finally get out of bed and start her day, she flipped the covers off to find that she hadn't slept in her clothes from the night before. She had slept in her underwear, and the clothes she had worn were folded neatly on a chair in the corner. This worried her considerably. She didn't even remember doing anything even remotely considered inappropriate to explain her lack of clothing, so that had to mean only one thing.

"CASTLE!" she yelled angrily.

He rushed in to her room seconds later, bearing food and coffee with hurried apologies. She hadn't exactly planned for him to come in so quickly, much less at all. Reaching up, she grabbed him by the nose and pinched hard, causing him to cry out.

"Apples! Apples!" he moaned, wincing in pain.

Kate refused to be deterred from her tirade. "What in the hell happened last night? Did we-"it was here that Castle cut her off.

"Look, you were asleep when we got here, so I carried you inside instead of waking you up. I figured you hadn't slept in a while and needed to stay that way. Besides, I really didn't want to risk you becoming cranky with me. Then, when I put you to bed, I thought you'd be less comfortable sleeping in your clothes. I was honestly going from my perspective here. If I were you and were the one sleeping in bed, I wouldn't ever sleep in jeans. So I took things off for you and tucked you in. That's all that happened. I swear. I didn't look or see anything. "

Beckett regarded him for a moment, trying to decide whether or not he was telling the , Kate released her hold on Castle's nose, but not before giving it one last squeeze.

It was then that Castle froze, realizing Beckett's state of undress. Looking down at herself, she realized she was still in her underwear and Beckett hurried to cover herself.

"Stop staring and get out so I can get dressed, then we can talk about plans for the day. What are we doing, exactly?"

Castle, who had started to turn away, replied quickly, "You, my dear Beckett, may do whatever you wish. I told you, I have a book to write, remember? Why don't you enjoy yourself on the back porch. There's a Jacuzzi tub there you can use to relax. I'll write for a little while and then come find you. I have many surprises in store for you today," Castle replied with a wink.

"By the way," he continued, pointedly looking her up and down before licking his lips, "you're gorgeous. I think it should be a mandatory rule while we are on this vacation that you either wear only your underwear, or nothing at all," he quipped while stepping towards her, leaning down to whisper in her ear, "I personally prefer to have you naked. The view is much better." At that, he quickly straightened up, turned and quickly walked away, but not before adding, "There are some bathing suits in one of my suitcases. I figured you'd forget one."

After Castle left the room, Beckett allowed herself to let out the breath she had been holding. She never expected to feel the rush of emotions to arise after his simple comment. She thought he was probably joking, but something refused to let her believe that entirely. Shaking herself out of her thoughts, she decided to go see what Castle's bathing suit choices for her would be. However, that would have had to wait, for Beckett realized that Castle had made a very generous breakfast for her. Eggs, pancakes with strawberries and various fruits, and crepes greeted her, as well as a fresh cup of coffee. Castle always knew the best way to take care of her, she mused. Sighing contentedly, she shuffled to Castle's bedroom and opened one of the suitcases she had found there.

She found several different bikinis, all in different colors and styles. Unfortunately for her, they were all borderline indecent. She rolled her eyes. Of course Castle would never actually invest in something appropriate for her to wear. She settled on a two toned bronze and gold colored one, thinking that it was the most decent of them all. She put on one of his t-shirts over it so that she could freely walk around the house without attracting attention from Castle. However, she knew that if he did happen to see her in such a garment, the attention he would most surely give her she couldn't refuse. She softly padded to the porch and uncovered the Jacuzzi, turning on the jets to start it up. Satisfied, she went back inside to grab one of the books she brought with her and her iPod.

She took off her shirt once she was back outside and climbed into the water. It was cool from lack of use, but she figured she needed a little cooling off. This week with Castle was constantly heating her up. She settled herself in the tub, cracked open her book, and turned on her iPod. It didn't take long before she had fallen fast asleep.

A/N: I've been really lazy the last few days. I've been either working like a dog, or just busy getting into shenanigans with friends. If I had written all of this chapter instead of splitting it up, it would have been freakishly long. Thank you for all of the reviews! They're really motivating me to keep writing, so keep them coming! It lets me know that I'm doing something right. Part two should be up soon.


	8. Frustrations

Chapter 8:

Frustrations

Castle spent most of his afternoon sitting in front of his laptop, trying to write another chapter of his latest novel. Gina had called him several times over the last hour or so, leaving irritated messages begging him to call her back. He was in no mood to deal with her right now. His mind was definitely somewhere else. He couldn't seem to get the images from this morning out of his head, or stop himself from rewinding the events and changing what he had said or done to make himself more satisfied than he was. He knew that she had an effect on him, but he hadn't expected this. The way she looked in her room, nearly naked and damned kissable was enough to drive him mad.

He blinked and brought a hand to his eyes, trying to focus on the work he had to do in front of him. The blinking of his cursor was maddening. Every time he tried to write anything, he wrote Jameson Rook ripping Nikki's clothes off and having his way with her using the raunchiest details he could muster. This was not the most proper way to write his novel, much less deal with his current sexual frustrations.

He used to be happy when he could use his work to work out some of the issues that he was having. However, he quickly realized that he had more of a problem trying it this time because the object of all of his fantasies was most assuredly downstairs somewhere, wearing god knows what.

After fifteen more minutes of trying to get through his writer's block and focus, he gave up and went in search of her. She wasn't in the bedroom or kitchen, so the next place he looked was the indoor pool area and the attached workout space. No Beckett could be found at either place, so he ventured outside to the porch and stopped dead in his tracks. Kate was in the Jacuzzi tub with headphones in, reading a book with her back turned toward him. Quietly, he returned inside to his bedroom to change into a pair of black swim trunks that hung low on his hips.

He padded back outside, stopping to stand a few feet away and just watch her, fascinated at how oblivious she was to the fact that he was watching her. Shaking himself out of his reverie, he made the rest of his way to the tub. Beckett left a few inches between her and the wall of the tub, undoubtedly so she didn't get her book or her iPod wet. Castle took that as an invitation and slid in behind her, wrapping his arms around her stomach and pulling her against him.

Beckett had no idea she had an audience until she felt hands gently pulling her from behind into a rock hard body. She screamed, which whipped her head around and dislodged her iPod from its place on the ledge and sent it plunging into the tub for an undoubtedly watery death. Her book also fell victim to the scare, for it too went flying.

Beckett glared at Castle. "Really? You couldn't have simply just told me you were going to be joining me, and instead thought it was a better idea to scare me to death? How am I supposed to relax if you're constantly bothering me?"

"Hey, I had no idea that you were going to have such a violent reaction. I would have never attempted it if I had," he replied, reaching into the water and digging out the now dead iPod. "I think you're going to need a new one. I'll happily take you to get another tomorrow," he replied apologetically.

She contemplated him for a moment, trying to decide how those two statements made her feel. She decided to go with "Why do you always have to say the right things to me? Why can't you just let me be mad at you for a little while?"

"I don't like people being mad at me as a rule. Although, pissing Gina and Paula off is something I do regularly for sport, but they make it so easy. I definitely don't like the thought of you, Alexis, or my mother mad at me. The three of you would make my life a living hell," he said, kissing the side of her cheek gently.

"Fine, you're forgiven. However, don't think you can just buy me presents in order to get back in my good graces. Sometimes I will just have to stay mad at you."

"Duly noted. Were you at least enjoying yourself for a while? Is there something you've always wanted to do that I could do for you?"

"Again, you don't really have to do anything for me to make me happy. You've already forced me on a vacation, remember? Don't think I've completely forgiven you for this, because although this place is gorgeous, I'm still a little peeved."

"Again, I apologize. Hey, get up. There's this really nice restaurant that I'd love to take you to. We have reservations. Oh, and the attire is formal. There's a few choices for you in my closet as far as something to wear. I figured that you wouldn't have brought anything other than regular clothes and the occasional clubbing outfit. I want to spoil you a little. You've given so much of yourself to others without expecting anything back. It's the least I can do for someone as extraordinary as you."

Kate glanced down at herself, noticing for the first time that he was holding her where his hands me the bare skin of her stomach. An unfamiliar warm sensation pulsed from where he touched her, and it seemed to spread all over her body. She wondered what it would be like if he took her out on a real date, and whether or not the places that he was wanting to show her were the same ones he might have been with Gina or any of his other women. Mentally, she shook herself. They were just friends. There was no reason for her to be reading any more into his intentions than she was.

Castle watched her as a flurry of emotions played across her face. He was becoming slightly worried by her lack of a response. Usually, she was the one who was never without a comeback.

"What are you thinking about?" he asked her, tilting her chin up and trying to get her to look at him.

Those eyes. She could just spend all day getting lost in his eyes. She barely even registered that he was even speaking to her, but she managed to focus long enough when he repeated himself to attempt to formulate a response. Beckett was about to answer when she heard the familiar ringtone sound from the forgotten cell phone next to them.

She didn't honestly know what to tell him. She wanted so badly to believe that he felt the same as she did, but she was afraid to make that intuitive leap.

Flustered, she turned away from him and picked up the phone.

A/N: Loved all of the reviews, story/favorite author/and favorite story alerts I've been getting! You guys are making me feel great about what I'm trying to do. I'm trying to get the next chapter up and running within the next few days or so. The framework for it is done, so it shouldn't be too long. Also, I'm forming ideas for my next story. Anyway, as always, REVIEW!


	9. Of Phone Conversations and Dinner Plans

Chapter 9:

Of Phone Conversations and Dinner Plans

The person on the other end wasn't someone she was expecting. She thought at first that either Lanie or one of the boys would be calling, or perhaps even the Captain. She had overlooked the possibility that the only person left who would call her would be her own father.

Kate felt somewhat guilty as she started to have a conversation with him. Here he was, a perfectly good man with great intentions, and he was always the one dealt the worst hands in life.

"Hey, Dad. What's up?" she asked, hoping that everything was okay. Usually, he would only call her on occasions that had to do with her mother. Unfortunately for their situation, that was happening a little too frequently now. She had informed him of this last case and vented frustrations to him about her mother's case, but her dad seemed to be less than happy to watch her dwell on such things.

"Nothing really, I just wanted to check in with you and see how you were doing. I haven't heard from you in a few days," he replied.

"Well, you're going to be a little surprised right now. I'm on vacation in the Hamptons," she paused, then added, "with Castle."

Her dad was quiet after that admission for a few moments, and Beckett glanced at the phone to make sure that they hadn't lost connection.

"Castle's with you? Are you guys "a thing" now or something?" he asked. He didn't like Castle at first due to the media's ongoing obsession with him and all of his private matters, but after he had seen what Castle had done for his daughter, always risking his own neck for her just to make her happy and give her some kind of justice to her mother's murder, how could he not respect him? He watched his daughter feign annoyance time and time again when she would talk about him, but something in her eyes always contradicted the words that came from her mouth. If anyone was good enough for his daughter, he decided, it was Richard Castle.

"Why does everyone keep saying that? What, do I have a tramp stamp on my butt that has his name on it or something?" At this, she felt one of Castle's hands drift idly lower on her body, as if to check for said tattoo. She swatted it away, glaring at him and attempting to get out of the tub. She almost succeeded when she felt one of Castle's hands pull her back in and dragged her to sit more closely against him. Giving in, she let herself be immersed in Castle while she finished the currently annoying conversation she was having with her father.

"Honey, the man is obsessed with you. Everyone who watches you for at least five minutes can see it. The question is, why can't you see it, too? That, and why aren't you doing anything about it? You're not discouraging him in any way. If anything, you're encouraging his behavior. Going on vacation with him only makes things harder. If you really don't feel anything for him, why let him take you to one of his vacation spots?" he pressed, trying to make his daughter see his side of the situation.

"Dad, my boss made me go with him. He said I had been working too hard, and that emotionally I was starting to become a little erratic. He told me that I had to go on this vacation with him. The way he made it sound, it sounded like I'd be fired if I didn't. So here I am, trying to enjoy myself while Castle's around," she finished.

"Honey, I'm just concerned about you. What about your feelings on this? You can't sit there and tell me that you don't have feelings for him—"

Beckett cut him off. "I think we're done here, Dad. I really don't want to have this conversation with you."

Her father sighed, finally giving in. "All right, sweetie. If you don't want to talk about this now, then I won't press you. However, sooner or later, you will need to address it."

Beckett rolled her eyes, trying to ignore the rush of emotions that the conversation with her father was eliciting inside of her. The two said their goodbyes and hung up.

Beckett sat in Castle's arms for a few moments, silent and lost in her own thoughts. Were her actions really that noticeable that even her own father, who saw her only a few times a year, could see them and judge that she and Castle were "more than partners"?

She shivered, causing Castle to pull her closer into his body. He didn't know what all had been said to her, but he knew that the conversation was about them in some way. Kate usually didn't get this flustered unless someone started a conversation about something that really bothered her.

"What's going on, Kate?" he asked, trying to get her to open up.

"That was my dad. He's fine," she said curtly. She really didn't want to have this conversation with him right now.

"Kate, I'm your friend. From the way you were talking about things, your dad was pestering you about us. Is there something you're not telling me?" he asked, glancing at her hopefully.

Kate sighed for what seemed like the thousandth time and rolled her eyes. "He seems to think we're attracted to each other," she began. "In fact, a lot of people do. Lanie, the captain, Esposito and Ryan. Why can't they tell that we're just friends? Why do they all have to insist that we are more than that?"

"Maybe it's because something has changed between us, Kate," Castle replied. "Look, I know it might not be something that you want to hear right now, but I think you should listen anyway. There's something between us, and I think we owe it to ourselves to explore it."

"Don't." Kate said pleadingly.

"I don't understand. What do you mean?" Castle inquired, honestly confused.

"You know exactly what I am referring to! I can't do something that stupid and risk losing you. Jesus! You're my best friend. You've been with me through hell and back. If I were to go into this thing with you, I'm not entirely sure that it would work out for the better. Then what? You'd leave, and I would be left alone to pick up the pieces. I don't think that I would ever be strong enough to do that."

"What if you're wrong, though? What if we explored this and it turned out to be something so beautiful? What then? You'd actually be happy. You'd have a family who adores you, and I'd never leave you. Even though we've been through so much and I've seen a lot more than I probably would have in these last few years than I would ever want to in my life, I'm still here. I'm not running from this, and I'm not going to let you either. So stop making up excuses. Stop running! If you don't, then I'll just have to keep chasing you," he replied.

During his rant, Beckett's heart pounded, and her breath quickened. She felt like she couldn't breathe. Here he was, saying all these perfect things, but she was still very uncertain of how things would work. Shaking herself mentally from her thoughts, she decided to just enjoy the ride that Castle was offering her.

"You said we're going to dinner?" she asked. At his nod, she unwrapped herself from him. "Well, if we're going, I guess I had better get ready." With that, she stood up and got out of the tub, giving Castle an excellent view of what he had been missing while they were in the tub together.

The golden bikini that she decided to wear was one of the more modest that he had bought for her. However, it still left almost nothing to the imagination since she was soaking wet. Her nipples pebbled as the cold air hit her, which made him want to do nothing but get out of the tub and warm her up.

That was not a proper way to begin things between them, he reminded himself with a groan.

Beckett dried herself off and went inside again to Castle's bedroom. She inhaled sharply before she opened his closet, then gasped. Inside was a gorgeous floor length ballgown.

It was zebra and floral patterned, with a sort of keyhole neckline in both the front and back. When she put it on, she noticed that the dress also had a high slit in front. She rolled her eyes. Castle would do almost anything to get a glimpse of her body.

As for her hair, she chose to leave it down in loose waves down her back, and put on her makeup a little heavier than usual. She felt like she was getting ready for prom all over again.

When she was done, it was close to six. Beckett grabbed a simple clutch purse he also left for her and placed her cell phone, spare handcuffs, and badge inside, putting on some simple black stiletto heels as well. After checking herself in the mirror and dabbing some perfume behind her ear, she was ready enough to go find Castle.

He was standing at the bottom of the stairs with his back turned to her. She cleared her throat in order to get his attention, and he turned to greet her.

His breath quickly exited his lungs and his jaw dropped as he got the full effect of Katherine Beckett. She was simply stunning. The dress fit perfectly on her and hugged every curve of her body like a glove.

"You gonna wipe up that drool, Castle? I think I may have to get a canoe to get across the lake you're making on the floor," she teased.

Castle shook himself from his mental state. "You look absolutely stunning," he complimented, holding out an arm for her.

"You don't look so bad yourself," she replied taking his arm gently.

Castle was wearing a white tuxedo with a black bow tie and black shoes. He looked every bit like a movie star. She could hardly keep her eyes off of him.

Castle led her gently outside to the waiting limousine, which drove them away to the luxurious restaurant.

A/N: This chapter was such a long one! Sorry the last one was so short, but I made this one much longer in order to make up for it. Hope you guys are enjoying this as it unfolds as much as I am! REVIEW!


	10. The Dinner

Chapter 10:

The Dinner

The night was going better than Beckett ever expected. Castle literally was going out of his way to make everything special for her. The restaurant they ended up eating at was a high end, extremely exclusive place. She found herself not being able to staunch the jealousy when she thought of Castle taking Gina or any of his previous girlfriends. It was silly to think that way, she knew, but she rationalized that if she didn't feel any jealousy relating to him at all, then she guessed that their bond with each other wasn't as strong as she thought.

The hostess quickly seated them in a darkened and private corner. Castle quickly hastened to pull out Beckett's chair for her so that she could sit properly. However, before returning to his own chair, he leaned down. Breath tickling hotly against her neck, he noticed the she visibly tensed from his closeness.

"Relax," he whispered. "I don't bite- unless you're naughty."

At this, he took pride in the fact that she shivered and her eyes fluttered closed. Obviously, she took him seriously. He filed her reaction in his "Beckett file" in his brain to hopefully be used again in the future. He then crossed to the other side of the table and sat down. The staff around them busied themselves with giving them their menus, silverware and filling glasses with water while they waited for their drink orders, scampering off when done to another table when they finished to give Beckett and Castle their privacy.

Beckett sat there for a few moments with her eyes still closed. The sensations that she felt from Castle's breath on her neck, his words and the emotions that she was still trying to fight were all swirling together in her mind. She remained quiet for most of their dinner, simply lost in her thoughts. It seemed like everything was happening so quickly between them, but she also realized that she had been resisting him all along.

Beckett opened her eyes to find Castle gazing at her, one eyebrow raised in question. She shook her head and smiled reassuringly at him.

"Don't worry, Castle. I'm fine. Before you even ask, no I'm not running. I'm just thinking."

"Dare I even ask what you were thinking about? Or is it far too X rated for such a fine place as this?" he asked with a smirk.

Beckett snorted. "No. I was just thinking about how quickly things are happening between us. I mean, just yesterday I was mad at you for making me go on this trip."

Castle cleared his throat. "And now?"

"As much as it pains me to say this, you were right. I am enjoying myself. I guess I'm a little surprised, is all. However, from the looks of things, this restaurant is very expensive. You don't need to pull these kinds of surprises to impress me. I might not have the strength to stop you if you wanted to every once in a while. Don't get me wrong, okay? This is really great. I never would have guessed I'd be here in a million years," she said.

Their waiter had come back not long after to get their drink and food orders. Much to the chagrin of Castle, she ordered a simple salad with a glass of water to drink. He had hoped that she would allow him to spoil her by letting her get whatever she wanted, but he supposed that this was her way of keeping herself as grounded as possible for this budding relationship of theirs to work. He himself ordered filet mignon with a glass of wine.

They ate together in silence, the two of them occasionally stealing glances at the other. Afterward it was decided that they find a place where they could enjoy themselves in private without the company of waiters and staff. He drove them both back home.

"Why don't we take a walk on the beach?" he suggested, not really willing to go inside and separate himself from her for the night just yet.

"I don't know if that's such a good idea, Castle," she replied, indicating her dress. "I really don't want to get this messed up. This must have cost you a fortune."

"Why don't you let me worry about what I can afford and what I can't? It's not like I'm exactly in the poorhouse, remember?"

"Don't remind me. My small apartment is dwarfed by your overly large loft. In fact, they say that usually that's a sign that you're compensating for something. A small package, perhaps?" she teased.

She had to admit that she never saw his next move coming until she was plastered against his hard body, with one of his hands holding her against him. She took one of her hands and slapped him playfully on the chest, but then slowly registered their close proximity and how intimate it seemed. What startled her the most was that being so close to him felt so right.

"Does that feel like a small package to you? This is what you're constantly doing to me, Kate." he asked, not bothering to loosen his grip on her in case she would run.

It suddenly dawned on her that the reason behind them being so close together was so that she would feel how large he was. She gulped, also realizing that he was also hard as stone as well. She squirmed, trying to shy away from her position against him.

Regretfully, he let go of her, trying to gauge her reaction. He was disappointed when she wouldn't meet his eyes, and chastised himself for it. Taking her chance, she picked up the skirts of her dress and fled to the safety of her bedroom. After closing the door, she leaned against it heavily. She let out the breath she had forgotten that she had been holding. Castle's bold move had shocked her, to say the least. She wasn't completely stupid, though. She had known for a while that he might be attracted to her, but she never really thought of how much he actually was.

Visions of them naked and entwined in each other in passion began to fill her head. She figured that he would probably be very good at pleasing a woman. He had boasted about his exploits to the guys often enough.

She shook herself, trying to rid her brain of the images she had concocted. She focused herself on getting ready for bed, hoping that she was done thinking of Castle in a sexual light.

She might have been done with thinking about him in the waking world, but while she was sleeping, her mind was fair game. Her mind also refused to leave her alone.

A/N: I know that this is short, and I'm sorry for that. I just wanted to get something out before I had to go to work today. I had started writing this a week ago and have honestly been going through some serious writer's block. That, and work has picked up with people getting sick or quitting, which has resulted in staffing issues and me going home completely exhausted at night. I'm also headed out on vacation in 6 days (first one in almost 2 years) and I don't know what my internet access is going to be like. Anyway, I'll hopefully have the next chapter up before I go off. I needed to find a good point to stop in order for me to keep the storyline going. Thanks to all who have been so supportive of me throughout the writing of this story! I love all the alerts and reviews I have been getting lately. Also, this would have been up earlier today, but the site has been acting weird and every time I'd go to upload it, the site would disappear.


	11. Of Dreams and Other Things

Chapter 11:

Of Dreams and Other Things

Castle was having a rough time sleeping. Every time he tried, he thought of Beckett and last night's events, including the hot tub scene and dinner. His attraction to her was quickly becoming hard to reign in, he realized. He really didn't want to screw this up for the both of them. He had gone through all of his past relationships in his head, looking for points where he did or said the wrong things that ended the relationship. He really wanted whatever he and Kate were quickly becoming to be the real deal. He wanted to show her that he wasn't just some schoolboy on the playground, and that he was really quite serious about her—and about them.

Sighing, he turned over in his bed for the thousandth time. She was only a few feet away, but it felt so much more than that. What he wouldn't give just to go into her room, crawl into bed with her, and hold her while she slept-

He shook himself from his reverie, listening. Something wasn't right. Usually, nothing could be heard in the dark of the night.

Whatever it was sounded again. A moan, perhaps?

Castle shot up from the bed, intending to search for the source of the noise. As he drew closer to Beckett's room, the noise got louder and louder. Cracking open the door, he saw her wrestling with some unknown demon in her sleep, crying out. He walked to her side of the bed, gently sitting down so as not to wake her. He soothed her damp hair away from her face, then placed both hands on her shoulders to try to shake her awake.

_She was running. From what, she wasn't entirely sure. She could hear footsteps after her, and a distorted voice calling out her name. As much as she tried, she couldn't see who was following her. Dark mazes of alleyways appeared all around her, until she happened upon a spot that always haunted her dreams. A body was lying there, face down. She knelt to turn it over, but felt her pursuer suddenly grab her and hold her tight. Her dream shifted to her apartment. She was still in the arms of someone, but she still couldn't make out his face. In the dark, it didn't matter. He was doing things to her that were better than anything she'd ever experienced in her waking life. Stripping her bare, he gazed upon her, face hidden in the shadows. His eyes were strangely familiar. She tried to speak, but he silenced her with a kiss so soft she thought he was trying to touch the very depths of her soul with that simple action. She didn't react to it at first, trying to think of someone who would bother to take the time to do something like that. Demming had been gone for a while, and their relationship had been so fleeting that she had almost no recollection now of anything that had happened between them. There was only one person who could do this._

_Richard Castle. _

_Reluctantly, she detached herself from her lover in order to really get a good look at his face. Sure enough, Castle's face smiled softly back at her, but only for a second. He then resumed his earlier actions by stealing her breath away for another kiss. This time, the kisses they shared grew more and more passionate, causing Kate to moan and press herself more firmly against him. She wrapped her legs around his waist and ground herself onto his throbbing erection. Her efforts didn't go unnoticed by him as he let out a groan of frustration, breaking off their kiss._

"_Kate."_

_A new rush of wetness enveloped her core at the sound of him moaning her name. She decided that she enjoyed it so much, she wanted to hear it again. _

"_Kate, wake up."_

_Now, she was completely confused. Wasn't she already awake? Castle had completely stopped kissing her, and was now softly shaking her. _

Kate awoke with a start, meeting the concerned face of the man who had just moments ago haunted her dreams. She hoped that he wouldn't figure out what was going on in her mind. The way he was looking at her was a little disturbing.

Castle frowned, concerned for her. "Kate, what the hell was going on? I could hear you groaning in your sleep, like something was hurting you," he inquired, brushing a lock of hair away from her eyes.

"What are you doing here?" she deflected, not really willing to admit that she had had one of the most erotic dreams in her life, starring the man before her.

"You woke me up," he answered simply. "I was having trouble sleeping anyway, so it wasn't entirely your fault, but then I heard noises coming from your room. Therefore, I came in to check on you. You're very loud when you're sleeping, you know that?"

Beckett rolled her eyes. "Shut up, Castle. I just had a bad dream. Nothing more, nothing less."

"That didn't sound like it was nothing. It sounded like a hell of a lot of something."

"I was running," she started, "I'm not sure from what, though. I never got a good look at it. I then ran into an alleyway that I recognized as the same one my mom was found in. There was a body there, and I knelt down to turn it over to see who it was. After that, you woke me up," she said, not meeting his eyes.

He considered her for a moment, then asked, "Why do I get the feeling that there's something you're not telling me? From the way that you're acting, There's got to be more to it than that."

"I swear, that was it. Nothing else happened. What time is it?"

"It's a little after 7," he replied. "I'm still exhausted, so I think I'm going to go back to bed for a few more hours. You don't look like you slept well either. That nightmare must have been a hell of one."

Beckett yawned, finally realizing how tired she really was. Castle got up to leave her alone, but she stopped him.

"Castle?"

He turned, meeting her eyes. "What?"

"Stay."

"Huh?" he responded, clearly confused as to her request.

"Stay with me. Only if you want to. I just don't want to be alone right now. That nightmare is still haunting me, and I'd feel much better if you were here to wake me up."

"Katherine Beckett, are you suggesting that we sleep together?" he asked with mock astonishment.

"If you don't wipe that smug grin off your face and get yourself over here, then I'll just have to revoke my invitation."

She didn't need to ask him twice, for he bounded up to the bed and flounced dramatically upon it, as well as landing on top of Beckett as well. After the shock wore off, he rolled off of her with a laugh. He then noticed the funny look on her face and immediately became concerned all over again. He settled himself on his side, facing her, and pulled her to him so that her back was pulled flush against his chest. He wrapped his arms tightly around her, pulling the covers over them both so that they formed a protective circle around Beckett.

He inhaled sharply as she relaxed and pushed herself more firmly against him, the movement allowing him to take in her scent.

"Kate?" he asked.

She sighed sleepily before responding. "Hmmm?"

Castle hesitated before answering. "You still smell like cherries."

A/N: Here is the next installment of my story before I go on vacation (as promised). I hope you liked reading it! I wanted to make this chapter a little light and fluffy, with a little steaminess placed in. As always, REVIEW!


	12. Beckett's Seduction

Chapter 12:

Beckett's Seduction

Richard Castle cracked an eye open much later in the morning. He tried to move, but then realized that he was completely entwined with the limbs of Kate Beckett. Somehow she had completely abandoned her side of the bed, placing her head on his chest, wrapping one arm around his torso and one leg around his waist. The intimacy of their position was a bit of a surprise to Castle that it took him a moment to wrack his brain as to the happenings of the night before. He then realized that he was in her bed, remembering that she had been so bothered by her nightmare that she had.

At this thought, he pressed a gentle kiss to her forehead and pulled her closer, careful not to wake her. It was so rare that she allowed him to be this close to her that he was afraid not to wake her lest the spell be broken. Moments with her like this made him wish that things were different between them. He wanted to know everything about her. Simply shadowing her during the day never seemed to be enough. She was his obsession, his best friend, his partner.

In his mind's eye, he imagined what the future would be like with the two of them together. His mind flashed to their wedding day. She would be beautiful, radiant even. His mind traveled to what it would be like when their first child came. He had always wanted Alexis to have a brother or sister, but he never completely thought he had found the right woman to be able to give her that. Meredith? She had never exactly been his first choice when it came to being the mother of his child. She was surely beautiful, but she lacked the intelligence and responsibility that he viewed essential.

His mind flashed toward Kate again. She had gone through so much in her lifetime. Nothing really seemed to go her way. She was strong and independent, and never let anyone completely in to her life. Her family was broken. Her mom was gone, murdered in cold blood by some bastard that didn't care about anything but himself. Her dad was a shadow of what he used to be, he was sure. Death of a loved one changed that. He knew that Beckett had no other brothers or sisters. Esposito and Ryan at the precinct were the closest thing she had to brothers, and Lanie in the morgue was her best friend and sister. Even Captain Montgomery made the cut into her little family. He was almost like an uncle, and a protective one at that.

Even with all of that, Castle still felt that Beckett needed more of a family of her own. He wanted to be the one to give her that.

Her phone chirped, breaking the silence. Reaching across to her nightstand, being mindful of the fact Kate was still sleeping, he picked up the phone. The message was from Esposito, checking in on them.

_Hey Beckett. You kill Castle yet?_

At this, Castle chuckled. Beckett had been so pissed at him for this whole trip that he'd forgotten that others might have been let in on his plot. He shot him a quick message back.

_Nope, I'm still alive. She's sleeping. _

It didn't take long for the next reply. He was sure that Esposito had caught on to the fact that he had her phone.

_Whoa, dude. What are you doing using Beckett's phone? You guys finally get freaky? If so, I just won the pool. _

Before he could even get a chance to reply, Beckett stirred, opening her eyes. She blinked harshly at him for a few seconds before finally gazing at him shyly.

"Hi," she said. She then realized how intimately she was pressed against him- especially a specific part of his anatomy-and tried her best to move away.

Before she could even form an apology, he was quick to reassure her. "It's okay, Kate. I don't mind. In fact, I like holding you. It kind of makes me feel useful. You're beautiful, you know that?"

Beckett blushed, burying her face further into his chest. She really didn't want to analyze what was going on between them right now. She found herself being surprisingly okay with their predicament, but she was still a little afraid to make that leap. Castle was being perfectly gentle with her. Reluctantly, she found herself pulling away, but Castle tightened his hold on her.

"You're running," he told her. "I thought we agreed that you would stop that."

She held up her chin in what she hoped to be a defiant gesture. "I am not. Can't a girl use the bathroom and brush her teeth?"

He sighed. "Fine, but if you're not out within five minutes, I'm coming in after you."

Beckett snorted, rolling her eyes. "And do what exactly? Save me from the evil Toilet Monster? Geez, you're paranoid."

"Hey, don't diss him. He can be very scary and you might need my protection."

She kissed his cheek before getting out of bed. "My hero," she murmured softly.

Against his will, he finally let go of her and watched her as she walked away to the bathroom. He lay there in silence as he contemplated things between them. It was then he made up his mind to really step up his game.

He got up and walked to the bathroom door, listening for signs that she was out. After a moment, he gathered up enough courage and opened the door. She was standing at his vanity, brushing her teeth before a mirror. She seemed to be almost in a cathartic, almost trance like state. Walking up behind her, he placed his arms around her waist, drawing her towards him. He kept his eyes on her face, which now seemed to be fully aware of her presence. He pushed her hair to the side and placed gentle kisses on her neck, traveling slowly upward to her ear. He tentatively took her earlobe in his mouth, biting down softly with utmost care. He was rewarded with a moan from her, which seemed to vibrate from her entire being into his.

He chanced a glance at her. Her eyes had fluttered shut at some point, toothbrush still in hand, but the task long since forgotten. She had also tilted her head to the side, granting him further access. Castle was exalted. He was actually touching Katherine Beckett, New York's finest homicide detective, and she wasn't doing anything to stop him. He wanted to touch her more intimately, but he feared that if he had, the spell between them would be over, and she would shut herself off from him once more.

Beckett lost herself in the sensations that Castle was evoking in her. His attentions were very unexpected, but she found herself enjoying it. Her body was blazing with fire every place that Castle's lips and hands touched. It all felt so new, so different, so damn good! She really wished that she had the courage to turn around and meet his passion head on. Shaking herself and swallowing, she spun around to face him, grabbed a fistful of his hair, and sealed his mouth to hers.

Stunned, Castle stiffened. He hadn't expected this. He felt that he would always be the one calling the shots between them. He never thought in a million years that she would have the tenacity to do the one thing he hadn't tried. He lost himself in the feel of her lips, how soft and pliant they were as they fit so perfectly against his. Her tongue slowly came out to duel with his, gently at first, but then growing bolder as soon as he reacted. She tasted of mint and pure liquid heat, which he decided was her unique flavor. It was one he didn't mind savoring for a very long time, if she would let him. She had managed to also mold their bodies so close together that her breasts underneath her simple cotton shirt were crushed against his chest, and somehow one of his legs forced its way between hers. She was grinding herself wantonly down onto his leg and making little noises in the back of her throat that it almost drove him crazy. Right then, he felt like picking her up and slamming her onto the countertop, ripping off their clothes and giving in to the passion that roared in his veins.

Beckett felt like she was drowning in him. She couldn't breathe, much less form a coherent thought. She had to get her hands on him, on his bare skin. She had ignored the fact that she had slept on top of him while he was half naked, his muscles rippling with every breath he took. However, now was different. She was very aware of him, all senses on alert. As she began to trail her hands from their locked place in his hair to his chest and shoulders, traveling southward, she found his bulging erection at the ready. Cupping him gently while still kissing him, she grabbed a firm hold and gave one simple stroke.

It was then she found herself yanked away, hands grasped at the wrist and thrust away from him. She struggled to catch her breath, not really wanting their moment to be over. When she met his eyes, she found that they had changed. They were almost black with animalistic passion, and she moved to dive in again. However, Castle stopped her.

"Not here, Kate. Not yet," he said, trying to make her see his side of things.

Beckett blinked, and yanked herself from his grasp as if she'd been burned.

"I'm sorry," she mumbled, then turned and fled for the safety of her own bedroom. Tears burned hot tracks down her cheeks as she slammed the door and leaned heavily against it. His rejection of her was so humiliating.

It took a few moments for Castle to realize what had just transpired. One minute, he was busy seducing Beckett. The next, she had turned the tables on him and met him with her own passion. As much as he was enjoying the sensations between them, he wanted her to be sure that she wouldn't regret anything they were doing. He pulled away from her, intending to tell her that he wanted things to slow down between them, when she muttered an apology and ran as fast as she could to get away from him. Castle sighed in frustration and turned for the bathroom to take care of his highly blue-balled state.

Things were definitely not going as planned. Not at all.

A/N: Sorry this took so long to get out! My vacation was wonderful, although I am a bit sunburned. I hope that everyone is still with me on this, and made this chapter a little more steamy (and long) for your benefit. As always, reviews are like candy!


	13. Let Me Help You

Chapter 13:

Let Me Help You

She had kissed Richard Castle. Not only that, but he had kissed her back.

After finally calming down after what seemed like ages, Beckett began to analyze what had just transpired between them. Her lips still tingled from when his had repeatedly ravished hers, and her body still yearned for his. She had thought that he might have felt the same spark that she had until he had forcefully pushed her away.

She shook her head. She really needed to get her mind off of Castle, but she couldn't help herself. She hurriedly changed from her nightshirt and into a simple navy t-shirt with the phrase "NYPD" emblazoned in yellow in the front, and a pair of black gym shorts she had brought with her in case she had the time to do a little running. Putting on her tennis shoes and slicking her hair back into a messy ponytail, she cautiously listened for signs that Castle might be waiting for her on the other side. After determining that Castle was nowhere within earshot, she grabbed her iPod and made her way through the massive house to the back door.

The air outside was fresh and clean, which was so different than what she was used to in the city. Beckett decided to go for a run on the beach, so she set off at an easy pace, feet pounding against the sand.

What was going on with her? She wondered to herself. Never in all of her years had she let a man get her so frazzled that she couldn't focus. She knew she had feelings for him, but she also felt that things were going a little fast between them. After all, they had only been on vacation for what? Two days? Then she had gone and kissed him.

Well, that wasn't entirely true, she admitted to herself. He had set her body ablaze with his attentions earlier. She was quickly finding out that he had a disturbing knack for finding all of her sensitive spots on her body, ones that made her purr like a kitten and turn to jelly in his hands. She had thought at some point during their intense make out session that he would take advantage of her. What frustrated her the most wasn't the fact that she wanted him to, but the fact that he pushed her away and denied them both satisfaction.

She turned around then, running back toward the house. Castle was such an enigma to her. By the time she had gotten back to the house, she had made up her mind that she was going to confront him about what had happened in the bathroom. However, when she got to the house, Castle was nowhere to be found.

Beckett sighed. Had she really screwed up so much that he couldn't even bear to be in the same house as her? She headed straight for the bathroom, intending to take a shower in the hopes of washing away the negative thoughts in her mind. She needed someone to talk to. She needed Lanie. Beckett made up her mind to call her best friend after she took a shower. She might regret it later because of the way Lanie might react, but usually she was the one who helped keep her grounded. She knew that Lanie had been their casual observer lately. Telling her that things were changing and getting confusing shouldn't be an issue.

She grabbed a simple robe, intending to just pick out some clothes after she had gotten all the dirt and grime off her body. It was frustrating for her to also find that despite the vigorous workout that she had just had, she realized that she also had Castle's scent all over her body from when they had slept together. She was still very much aroused from their earlier make out session that the very thought of anything relating to him put her on edge.

She padded toward the bathroom, feet echoing in the quiet room as she took each step toward the bathroom door. She was just about the turn the knob to enter when she heard a strange sound emanating from inside. Without a second thought, she burst through the door.

She wasn't expecting to find anything like it. There, standing before her completely naked, was Richard Castle. From the looks of things, and the way that his hand was wrapped around his cock, he had been trying to ease some obvious frustrations. However, he never stopped or seemed to register her presence.

It was the single most erotic thing she had ever witnessed. He seemed to be close, but held back for some reason. Walking up to him, she turned his head and kissed him thoroughly, tasting the salt from his sweat that was forming into a fine sheen on his skin. Tongues mated and vied for dominance, devouring each other, trying to meld into one.

Castle growled low in his throat, torn between kissing her and the task at hand. He was close, so close, and she tasted so good. He grabbed her hand and wrapped it around himself, keeping his over hers in order to enhance his pleasure.

Ripping his mouth away from hers, he threw back his head and closed his eyes, focusing on the pleasure. There was one thing he still craved for, and that was confirmation from her that she wasn't running from this, no matter what.

"Kate," he breathed. "Look at me."

When she finally did, she was shocked at what she saw. His eyes were black with passion, and he was making sure she knew that it was because of her. Looking down, they both watched their hands move in perfect harmony on his rock hard cock. This was their moment.

In a matter of seconds, Castle tensed as the first waves of his orgasm hit him. He exploded, staggering back from the force of it.

Kate let go of him completely, allowing the both of them some distance to process what had just happened.

After a while, Castle was the first to break the silence between them. "Kate, we need to talk about this. No more fooling around."

Beckett met his eyes and then gave him a gentle kiss. "I know."

A/N: Wow, that chapter took on a life of its own! I know it feels a little one-sided, but I felt it was a good starting point for the two of them to have. I know it's short, but I wanted to have something out before I went to work, and I have a wedding tomorrow. As always, review!


	14. The Aftermath

Chapter 14:

The Aftermath

Beckett didn't stay in the bathroom with Castle for too much longer after that. After what had just happened, he couldn't necessarily blame her. It was surely unexpected, and on his end it was passionate and meaningful. If he closed his eyes, he could imagine her hand still wrapped around his shaft while stroking him to his climax…

_Whoa, down boy, _Castle thought to himself. He quickly dressed and went in search of Beckett, which he found curled up in one of the large patio chairs. She seemed to be lost in her own thoughts, arms curled protectively around her legs with her head placed atop them.

He didn't really want to break the spell she seemed to be under, yet he was dying to know what was on her mind.

"Kate?" he questioned.

She turned her head to glance at him, those cat's eyes of hers gleaming. They seemed to gaze at each other for ages without a sound, until Kate moved back to her former position with a sigh.

"What, Castle?"

Resigned, Castle walked up to the chair next to her and flopped unceremoniously upon it. He contemplated his speech for a moment, but he never could completely come up with the right words to say. Nothing could describe the feelings that were swelling up inside of him. Finally, after what seemed like ages, he spoke.

"What just happened?"

At this, Beckett snorted. Surely he had been aware of the events as they unfolded.

"It was nothing," she stated. "I needed to use the shower. You were there. Frustrated, I might add. All I did was help you ease some of that frustration."

"No," he replied, suddenly feeling a flash of anger. "I refuse to believe that. I would never use you like that. That's not something you deserve. You deserve to be treated with respect. You're not just some girl that I picked up drunk in a bar. You're beautiful, intelligent, and real. Remember that day when we were sitting in the hallway and I told you that you were extraordinary? You still are. You have never ceased to amaze me."

Beckett chuckled. "Look, I get that what we did was out of the ordinary for us, but you really don't need to be so mushy about it."

Castle sighed in frustration. He got up and boxed her in her chair with the speed of a jungle cat. "Do you honestly think that I can just compartmentalize what happened between us? Dismiss it like you're a nobody, and then move on with my life? What would happen when we're at work? How would I be able to even look at you after knowing I used you? I can't just fool around with you and expect everything to be okay. I love you, Kate. As much as you don't want to admit it, I think you love me, too. It was a pleasant experience for me to share with you because of it."

"What am I supposed to do, Castle? Love you back? What happens when the two of us are at work, and then you end up doing something stupidly heroic to save me, getting yourself shot or killed? I couldn't live with myself if something happened to you because of me. How would I explain things to your mother or Alexis if something happened? They would never understand. You've seen me tough it out as far as telling families that their loved ones are gone, but could you really expect me to be as strong for Alexis? I couldn't. I can't be the one to break her heart."

"So that's what's really stopping you from being with me? Alexis? Jesus, Kate. I don't think you're giving Alexis enough credit. Sure, she'd be sad, but she would feel just as bad if she were to find out that she was the cause of you not wanting to be with me. She adores you just as much as I do."

He took one of her hands in his, gently placing it over his heart, which was beating steadily in his chest. "Do you feel that, Kate? I'm alive and well. Breathing, and on the best vacation I've ever taken. I'm with you, my best friend. I have known a lot of people in my lifetime, but no one ever became so vital to me until you."

"What about the press? The bachelor list? You'd lose your spot," she teased, trying to mask the butterflies that were dancing around in her stomach.

"What about it? You're more precious to me than any stupid list. The press has been making up stories about how we're together anyway. Haven't you been reading any of them? They have practically stated we were married last month. Please, Kate? Take a chance on me? On us? Don't make me beg."

"I hate to break it to you Castle, but you're pretty much already begging right now. Alright, fine. I give in. However, there have to be some ground rules. One, I would like to let the guys and Lanie know in my own way. That way, things don't get sensationalized by your brain. Two, try to keep it professional at work. I already catch hell for being a woman doing a man's job, so I don't really need you making that even worse. As soon as we get to either your loft or my apartment at the end of the day, we can relax and do whatever."

"Am I still alive? Did I just hear that correctly? Did the great Katherine Beckett just agree to be my girlfriend?"

"I thought that was what I just said."

"I know, I'm so in shock, I'm just checking. I never thought in a million years that you'd actually agree to this. I thought I would have to wrestle it out of you."

Beckett chuckled. "Haven't you figured it out by now? I'm full of surprises."

Castle took her head between both of his hands and brushed his lips against hers. Beckett's eyes fluttered closed, savoring the feel of his lips on hers. She could get used to this, she decided. Her last thought before the passion between them completely won her over?

_Boy, do I have a lot to tell Lanie!_

A/N: Sorry it took so long to get this chapter out. Again, I know it's short, but the next one behind it is much longer. It's wedding season (I had another wedding this past weekend) so it's been fairly busy for me trying to balance work and wedding stuff. Anyway, please review! I was overwhelmed by the last chapter's response. I love to hear all of your opinions. It lets me know that I'm doing something right.


	15. A Predator's Dance With Her Prey

Chapter 15:

A Predator's Dance With Her Prey

The rest of the day went like a blur for both Castle and Beckett. Who knew that admitting their feelings for one another would help things between them be so much better? It was almost like a weight had been lifted off of both of their shoulders. Neither of them felt the need to hold anything back. The time that they were sharing on this vacation together was theirs to grow as a couple, and Castle took the time to make sure that Beckett wasn't going to shy away from what was happening between them.

After a late lunch at a local sandwich shop and a trip to the grocery to pick up some supplies for the two of them, Castle and Beckett found themselves alone on the beach, the cool sand underneath their bare feet. They had left their shoes in the car at Castle's insistence. He wanted her to indulge the innocent side of her.

Taking the tie that he had brought with him, he slowly advanced on Beckett. Her eyes widened in surprise and she opened her mouth to protest, but he stopped her.

"Kate, just trust me. I promise that you're going to enjoy it."

With a sigh of frustration, she rolled her eyes and seemed to give in to his demands. He put the tie over her eyes and tied it to where she couldn't see anything. Her senses heightened due to her lack of vision, making her acutely aware of how close he really was to her.

Castle placed both of his hands on her waist, slowly walking her toward the spray. She squealed in surprise as she felt a splash of water against her legs.

He let go of her for a moment, wanting her to enjoy the experience without him distracting her. She looked like a siren standing there, her skin almost as white as the sand beneath her feet. Her hair billowed out as the breeze caught it, the strands tangling around themselves. The sight of her took his breath away.

Beckett became worried when she felt him let go of her. She was enjoying his closeness and wanted to see where this was going, but she understood that he had planned this whole adventure and that she needed to curb her impatience. After what seemed like forever, she felt his arms wrap around him again, cocooning her in his warmth and scent. She felt that as long as he was there to hold her, nothing else mattered as much. Her job held more of a meaning when he was beside her. She felt like she had her own personal cheerleader in him. No one else seemed to understand her as well as he did.

She tentatively turned around and placed a hand on his chest. She mentally cursed herself for the blindfold over her eyes. She desperately wanted some kind of confirmation from him that this whole day hadn't been a dream. She closed her eyes then, feeling his face draw nearer to hers as his breath fanned over her lips.

Castle leaned forward and began placing small kisses along her neck, slowly working his way to her jawbone and up to her ear. He was torturing her with his slow exploration, but instead of grabbing him and making him put an end to both of their misery, she stayed still and waited patiently to see where he was going with this.

"Have you ever been kissed, Kate?" he stopped to ask her. She thought the question was a little absurd. Of course she had. Even Castle had to know that she had. However, before she could answer, he continued.

"I don't mean by just anyone. I mean by someone who really, truly adores you. Someone who knows he wants to spend every waking moment of his day with you. Someone who makes you the last thing that he thinks of when he falls asleep and the first thing he thinks of when he wakes up? Someone who refuses to walk away from you when things get rough? I want to be the one to show that to you, Kate, but I will only do it if you'll let me. I'm not going to force things into going too fast."

"Castle, just shut up and kiss me already. I think I've waited long enough for you to finish your long winded speech."

"Just one request, though? Keep the blindfold on. It'll heighten sensations for you if you do."

Before she could reply, his mouth swooped down upon hers in the gentlest kiss she had ever known. The tenderness of it almost caused tears to fall. Castle swallowed the breathy sighs that were emanating from her, growing bolder with every second. Her lips parted, and his tongue darted out to meet hers in a dance that she hoped would never end. It was the hottest kiss that she had ever experienced. As much as she hated to admit it, Castle was also right. Being blind had its advantages. With every passing second, she found herself almost seeing fireworks from his kisses. She was frustrated at the fact that he seemed perfectly content with just kissing her, keeping his arms loosely around her waist. She wanted him to touch her, or at least pick up the pace.

Even when his hands finally did move, they stayed away from anything vital. They traced little patterns into the small of her back, causing her to shiver from the fire he was causing in the pit of her stomach. One of her own hands left its place in his hair and blazed a path down his stomach to his bulging erection. She cupped him firmly and gave him a gentle squeeze, causing him to groan and tear his mouth away from hers.

Beckett liked the effect she was having on him, so she gave him another squeeze. However, the next time she tried, she found both of her hands ripped completely off of his body and trapped in one hand.

"Kate, we have to stop. We can't do this," he said, using his other hand to take the blindfold off of her so he could look in her eyes.

Beckett sighed in frustration. She felt like a two year old who had just been told she couldn't have the pony she had always wanted. "Why not?"

Castle's eyes slammed shut, trying to formulate his next response carefully. "I don't want you to wake up the next morning and regret this. If I get the chance to touch you, and I mean really touch you, I want this to be a good memory between us. I also don't think that if this got started, that I could have the power to stop until we're both naked and going at it."

Beckett frowned. She knew he was being sweet for trying to be considerate of her, but couldn't he already tell that what was happening between them was completely out of their control? She wanted to experience that raw, animalistic passion that she was sure was hiding below the surface. They weren't drunk, and yet they were acting like a pair of teenagers feeling each other up in public. She knew perfectly well where this was going, and that was where she wanted so desperately to go.

Shaking her hands free, she advanced on him again, causing his eyes to widen and watch him take a step back. His brows furrowed, and he held up a hand to ward her off.

"What are you doing?" he asked, although he felt a little silly for having even voiced that question. From the look in her eyes, she was almost like a predator. He was obviously her prey.

She chuckled, wrapping one arm around his neck, while the other grabbed hold of the bulge that was still tenting his pants.

"Isn't it obvious?" she asked, tracing him through his pants and licking her lips. "I'm taking what I want. What's been mine all along."

Castle gulped, looking skyward in a prayer of thanks. They had a long night ahead of them.

A/N: Hey guys! Finally got around to putting up another chapter. I'm loving all the responses I've been getting. I've noticed a few new faces have discovered my story as well, and are also loving it as much as those who have been following it from day one. Can you believe that this is still my first fanfiction, and I'm already on chapter 15 (and writing chapter 16 as we speak)? We're getting to the good stuff now, I promise! No more teasing. Beckett has FINALLY had enough of Castle's teasing. *throws confetti* YAY! Now, you know the drill. REVIEW!


	16. Taming the Tigress

Chapter 16:

Taming the Tigress

It was amazing how Beckett and Castle found themselves able to make their way back to the house. Neither of them could seem to let go of the other long enough. Castle was still busy driving Beckett mad with his deliberately slow kisses, to which she would answer him with a grind of her hips. Castle was seriously debating picking up the pace, but he rationalized that he wanted their first time to be special. He had always wanted to make love to her for the first time in a bed, not against the door in a frenzy that was sure to leave them both empty.

_No,_ he thought. _She deserves much better than that. She deserves all the respect and love that I can give her, and even I know that soon, that will never be enough. _

Beckett must have sensed the internal battle that was raging within him, for she broke away from him then, a look of confusion marring her beautiful features.

"Kate," he said, fighting to control his breathing. "We have to slow down. I want to make this good for you. If we keep going at this pace, we won't really enjoy it. That, and this new relationship between us means so much more to me than anything I've ever had in my entire life."

He respected her enough to slow down. Beckett was completely stunned. She thought that their first time together would be fast and hard against some unknown surface, and that they really would never make it to the bedroom.

She shook herself from those thoughts. This was the first time that she was admitting that she had thought of them in that particular situation. Sure, she might have thought about what dating Castle might actually be like, but she really hadn't gone into particular details. She was able to also admit that she also had sexual dreams about him, but before anything could really get started, she'd either have to get up for work, or something would wake her up somehow.

"I'm so afraid of screwing this up," she admitted. "I think I've wanted this for a while now, and I'm just beginning to allow myself to admit it. Do you know how many sleepless nights I have had because of you? I would have these very graphic dreams about us, but before there could be any resolution, I'd have to wake up."

"Really? Well, Let's see if we can make some of those dreams reality," he responded with a smirk. He kissed her deeply then, scooping her up and swallowing the squeal the move produced. He wanted to drive her crazy tonight, but it seemed that she also had plans of her own for him.

By the time they had made it to the bedroom, Beckett's mouth had made a wandering trail to his earlobe and was biting down on it gently. He almost dropped her in that instant, as intense pleasure coursed through him.

He backed her up against the wall next to the door, taking the time to put her down and situate himself against her between her thighs. She wrapped her legs around his waist, increasing the pleasure for both of them and eliciting moans from Kate. Kate had plans of her own, as she was working on getting Castle's shirt off. In their new position, however, she soon realized how difficult that simple action was. He was doing the most intimate things with his hips, setting her very core on fire and making her burn with need. He felt large where he pressed against her, to which she laughed at the thought. Although she was no stranger to sex, She had never had someone much larger than average. Size never mattered to Kate, but now she understood why Castle was so damn cocky.

Breaking their kiss, she tried to regain some of her composure.

"Take your shirt off," she demanded, giving him a wicked smile.

Pressing her further into the wall so that she didn't have to untangle herself, he grabbed the end of his shirt and yanked it upward and off. He tossed it away, placing his hands underneath her ass and backing up toward the bed.

However, Castle wasn't exactly "Mr. Coordinated". He miscalculated where the bed was, hitting the edge and sending the two of them flying. Castle managed to protect Kate from hitting the floor, but having her added weight crash down on top of him knocked the air out of his lungs.

Pushing herself up, Kate straddled him, allowing Castle the liberty of regaining his breath. Gradually, his breathing returned to normal, and he realized their predicament. She looked like a siren, sitting there perched atop him with a smirk on her face.

"Something amuse you, Detective?" he asked with a smile.

"Castle, when I signed on for this, I didn't exactly think you would try to kill us both."

"I can do better. That is, if you'll let me," he answered with a pout.

She didn't answer. Instead, she leaned down, shifting herself so that her core came into contact with his erection. She ground herself wantonly upon him, earning moans from them both as electric shocks of pleasure rocked them.

Castle was amazed at the effect that Beckett had on him. They weren't even naked yet, and already he was close. Reaching up to her, he pulled her shirt over her head, leaving her in her black sports bra from earlier. Castle flipped them over finally, attempting to stand. As fun as having sex on the floor with Beckett might be, he didn't particularly want to be sore because of it. Getting up, he offered a hand to her, helping her up and pulling her close. He couldn't get enough of her.

Beckett sat down on the bed then, reaching out a hand to run a hand over the muscles that banded his chest and abdomen. He was remarkably fit for a person who always seemed to be sitting in a chair at his desk all day. His muscles rippled in response, and a low groan emitted from the back of Castle's throat. Rising to stand before him, her mouth blazed a hot trail over his collarbone. She placed gentle kisses on his chest, flicking her tongue over each nipple as she continued south, pausing to trace a ring around his navel. She fell to her knees before him as if in prayer, intending to disrobe him further when he stopped her.

"You're wearing too many clothes, Kate. I shouldn't be the only one enjoying this. Besides, if I let you take any more of my clothes off and touch me, this will be over way before we even get started. Let me do this for you."

Sighing in frustration, she rose to her feet again and plopped down gracelessly on the bed.

"Well, if you're not going to let me do anything to you, you'd better hurry up here and do something to me before I change my mind. I don't like to be kept waiting," she said.

Castle didn't need to be told twice what Beckett needed. He quickly climbed on the bed with her, pausing to look down at her. Part of him couldn't really fathom the fact that they were both here in this moment, about to become more intimate than they already were.

He began by brushing gentle kisses on her forehead, cheeks and chin, purposefully avoiding her lips because he knew that he would spend hours kissing her. As he continued exploring her body, he made mental notes of places that made her moan in pleasure. He gently peeled off her sports bra and drew a sharp intake of breath. He had always known that she was beautiful, but nothing had prepared him for this. Cherry colored nipples topped the globe of each breast. His mouth watered as he contemplated which of the two to sample first.

He kissed first one, then the other, his tongue darting out to flick the nipple until it hardened. He suckled a breast; his other hand wandering further south to divest her of the rest of her clothing. The noises she was making were driving him mad, and he wanted nothing more than to do something to make her scream. Switching to the other breast, he gave it the same attention the first received while rising to his knees to pull off her shorts. Realizing he had to pull away from her skin to do so, he released her breast with an audible pop, finally taking a look at her.

He didn't realize that he had stopped breathing until his lungs begged for oxygen. Her naked beauty took his breath away.

Beckett was a little embarrassed to be sitting there under Castle's gaze. He seemed to be taking his time to slowly look at every part of her and memorize the planes of her body, lest she disappear. She almost felt like she wanted to cover herself to hide from his intense gaze. As she moved to do so, he grabbed both of her wrists, pinning them above her head.

"Don't," he breathed. "You're breathtaking. I can't stand that you're so embarrassed about your beauty."

Her cheeks colored again. "Did you think of that one all by yourself, Castle?"

He resumed his earlier actions then, but this time with more fervor. He kissed her heart, feeling the strong heartbeat underneath his lips. That simple action nearly broke her. No one had ever done that to her before. He wasn't deterred, but instead kept traveling further south, leaving flames of fire burning in his wake. He covered her legs with small kisses, with his tongue occasionally dipping to sample skin.

She was moaning almost constantly now, and moving her hips almost as much. She was such a vision to watch, and part of him wished that he had a camera to take a picture of this moment. He kissed each of her feet and toes before crawling up the inside of her thighs slowly, driving her insane with the little kisses and nips. He breathed in the scent of her, loving how intoxicating and vulnerable she was as she lay before him.

How could one person be capable of turning her on this much? She had known that Castle would be an attentive lover, but she had no idea how much. She didn't know whether she wanted to close her eyes and anticipate his next move, or keep her eyes open and watch him as he pleasured her. However, as he parted her legs further to settle himself between them, her decision had unconsciously been made.

Castle looked at her. She was so open, so damn ready for him to take her. He had been trying his best to keep things slow for them both, but the slower he went, the faster he really wanted to go. He parted the lips of her pussy like a flower, giving one slow, exploratory lick in order to taste her. He happened to glance upward at her again the find that her eyes had slammed shut, and her hands were twisted around the sheets. He wanted honesty from her, craved it like he had ever done before. He gave her pussy an open mouthed kiss then, tongue darting between her folds to taste more of her. She tasted like a mixture of honey and strawberries. He decided he couldn't get enough of her. Bringing a hand to her, he gently thrust a finger inside, moving it slowly in and out while he redirected his mouth's efforts to her clit, alternating by flicking his tongue over it and sucking it into his mouth. Her juices flowed freely over his finger as he added another into the mix, spreading her wider for him as he did so. He couldn't believe how tight she was! Her internal muscles were clenching in a steady rhythm that had him wishing that he was inside of her. However, he pressed on, telling himself that his turn would come. Her hips were moving in a steady rhythm now, and it was becoming harder to keep up his mouth's ministrations because of it.

Her body was forming a light sheen of sweat now, and she could feel herself beginning to teeter over the edge of a delicious orgasm. He was adept at learning every spot on her body. This is how it was supposed to be. She could feel it simmering everywhere, from the top of her head to the tips of her toes. She felt him flick his fingers once, then twice against her G-spot, and then it began. Her pleasure intensified; her hands flew to his hair, hanging on to it for dear life as she fell over the cliff of her orgasm in ecstasy.

She keened his name as she came, eyes flying open, blind and unseeing. He loved every second of it. Her juices flowed freely from her, and he took the time to lap her clean to bring her down from her high. He rose to lie beside her, wrapping his arms around her to hold her as she recovered. He had never seen anyone so beautiful in his life.

When her breathing returned to normal, she looked at him and stretched, covering her mouth as she did so.

"Sleep, Kate. It's okay. I'll still be here when you wake up," Castle said.

"But you… we didn't….I didn't…you're still…" she tried, but Castle shushed her.

"We can worry about that later. We have all the time in the world, Kate. I've walked around with a constant hard on since the day I met you. I think a few more hours won't kill me."

Beckett smiled, rising up on an elbow to brush her lips over his.

"Thank you," she replied honestly before turning on her side and wrapping one of his arms around her.

She had never felt so loved and protected as she did right then. This was the last thought she had before sleep claimed her.

A/N: Sorry this took so long! I have been writing up a storm and had to split everything up into multiple chapters, or else this would have been entirely too long. Hope you enjoyed this next installment. There were times when I had to literally walk away because some of the imagery was a little much for me. This was also the first time I have ever written anything resembling smut. I hope I did well! I love you all and your input in reviews!


	17. Payback Begins A Different War

Chapter 17:

Payback Begins A Different War

Beckett awoke sometime later to find Castle's intense blue eyes boring into her own. She found this a little disconcerting because she didn't know how long she had been asleep. She put her hands over her face and let out a breath, trying to collect herself. The enormity of what had happened between them earlier had hit her like a ton of bricks. After a moment, she took a peek at him, only to find that he was still looking at her. He gently pried both of her hands away from her face.

"What's wrong, Kate?" he asked, beginning to worry about her. She hadn't said a word to him and almost refused to look at him either.

"Nothing. I just can't believe we're finally starting to be….intimate. Doesn't the whole thing kind of blow your mind in a way? It feels….naughty. We're work partners, you know? We aren't supposed to be attracted to each other."

"Are you suggesting we have a relationship like Ryan and Esposito's? Because if you are, we need to do a serious rewind. Kate, I know this was a huge step for us. I really like where this is going. Not just because of the sex, but because I get to see you in a new light that hardly anyone gets to see. Watching you as you had an orgasm because of me? Incredibly hot. That definitely increased your hotness factor by a million points."

"How can you be so calm about this?" she worried, biting her lip.

"We haven't really slept together yet, and already you're worrying. Look, I told you. I want this. I've wanted it for a long time. I don't care about the excuses that you have made up in your head about why this is a horrible idea. The only thing that matters to me right this second is you."

Cupping his face in her hands, she brushed her lips against hers. She had only meant to do so for a second, but she soon found that she was kidding herself. Gentle kisses soon gave way to more carnal ones, the passion burning between them threatening to consume them both.

Castle soon found himself on his back while Beckett blazed a trail from his mouth southward, her destination clear. She had his shorts unbuttoned and pulled off before he could protest, and was now proceeding to look directly at his erect cock like it was the most fascinating thing she had ever seen. She swallowed harshly and licked her lips, eyes transfixed on the sight before her. Castle's cock twitched, hardening further. He didn't think he had ever been this hard for anyone before in his entire life.

_Then again, _he mused to himself, _I have never been this enamored with anyone before, either. _

Reaching out a hand, she tentatively took hold of him, marveling at the way he reacted further to her touch. She was surprised he was being so passive right now, letting her control the pace and their experience. She had thought that he would be an aggressive lover, so this was a pleasant surprise. He felt like a pleasant mixture of hard steel wrapped in velvet, and she gave him a firm stroke while keeping one eye on his face. Both of his hands were clenched at his sides, as if to prevent himself from taking charge of the situation again and forcing her to stop teasing him. His eyes were tightly shut, and his teeth clenched. Every muscle in his body was rock hard with tension.

"Castle?" she asked, suddenly unsure of what she was doing.

When he didn't respond, she let go of him and slid up to meet his eyes with her own. She caught his lips in a passionate kiss, leaving them both breathless and panting.

"Was I doing something to hurt you? When I touched you, you looked like you were in pain. I know this is kind of awkward to admit, but I really have never had the opportunity to explore a man's body. Pretty much there was sex with little foreplay. Boring stuff."

He shook his head then, smiling at her. "No, I was actually really enjoying myself. Granted, I had to stop myself from grabbing you, flipping you on your back and pounding into you so hard until none of us can think straight, but yeah, I'm good. Don't worry so much. If I don't like something, I'll be sure to tell you. We promised there would be complete honesty between us, remember?"

Beckett blushed furiously at his statement. She knew that she had an effect on him for sure, but there was always something in the back of her mind that held her back. Finally gathering up the courage, she looked at him in the eye.

"Close your eyes," she demanded. If she was going to do what she had planned, she wanted him to be pleasantly surprised.

"Okay. Should I be worried? Are you going to chop something off as soon as I do?"

"Just shut up and dp what I say before I change my mind and leave us both dissatisfied. You promised that it was my turn. Therefore, we're going to do this my way, or not at all."

He finally relented, closing his eyes in anticipation of her next move. It seemed to take forever, but he finally felt her lips caress his own, tongue snaking lazily into the gateway of his mouth when his lips parted. She didn't stay there for long before retreating, drifting lazily to nip at his collarbone.

She took the opportunity to straddle him then, rubbing herself wantonly against him. Castle groaned, shifting beneath her and trying to maintain contact. She allowed the tip of him to enter her, intending to give him a little preview of what being inside of her would be like.

Castle almost came when he felt himself partially enter her. She was so damn tight and wet for him that he had to grit his teeth to keep from bucking her off and satisfying them both. He was starting to wonder what he had gotten himself into. She reached behind her, cupping his balls and testing the weight of them in her hand. Castle drew in a harsh breath, his eyes slamming shut.

Finally, he decided that he had let her torture him enough. She had barely even touched him, and he was so damn close that he was surprised he hadn't already cum in droves by now. His eyes snapped open, and he quickly grabbed one of her legs underneath the knee. Before she really had any time to react, he had her flipped on her back underneath him.

"Hey!" Beckett groaned in protest, lower lip protruding in a pout. She had rather enjoyed testing Castle's boundaries, and was surprised that he had stopped her.

"Sorry, Kate. You weren't playing fair. In no way did I agree to you torturing me. I wasn't going to be able to hold out much longer. So, you know what? Prepare for the consequences. You have no idea what you've just gotten yourself into ."

As if to illustrate his point further, he guided himself to her, rubbing himself insistently along her slit and watching her squirm from the sensations. Finally, he just couldn't take it any longer. He plunged into her depths as quickly as he could, gasping at the feel of her. She screamed in pleasure at the sensation of him filling her. She was completely stretched to the brim. There was no way that she could tell where she ended and he began now. She was completely his.

With every thrust, Kate found herself streaming towards something she couldn't name. Brilliant pin dots of light flashed before her eyes as the pleasure within her intensified.

Grabbing her ass, he dragged her upwards to meet his thrusts, changing his angle of entry and hitting more sweet spots inside of her. She was screaming almost constantly now, and the knowledge that it was him doing this to her brought a smirk to his face. However, she hadn't looked at him once. He felt that he needed to see her as he took her over the edge. The whole experience wouldn't seem real somehow without it.

"Kate," he panted harshly, "Look at me."

When she finally did, he saw the fire burning within the emerald depths. She was close, that much was certain. This renewed his efforts and he pistoned his hips harder and faster, reaching between them to play with her clit.

He watched, fascinated, as her expression changed. Her eyes rolled to the back of her head, lips parting to scream his name. She fell bonelessly over the edge, toes curling with the intensity of her orgasm. Castle felt her flood around him, lubricating his thrusts. He followed over the edge not long after, spilling his seed inside her.

He fell to his side, careful not to crush her. The silence between them was immense as the two of them lay lost in their separate thoughts.

All of a sudden, Kate bolted out of bed, heading for the bathroom and leaving Castle to wonder what happened. She slammed the door behind her, panting and leaning heavily against it. She knew that the sex between them would be explosive, but nothing had prepared her for this. For some reason, she felt the need to run from him. She knew that he was a good man, and her best friend. She was just now starting to come to the realization that she now had to add lover to that list.

She needed someone else's perspective on things, someone who was outside of their budding relationship who could give her advice.

She exhaled a breath. She needed Lanie.

A/N: Wow! So sorry it took me so long! I'm still loving all the reviews (and the fact that new readers have been finding my story and are loving it). You guys rock! Hope this chapter met everyone's expectations. It kind of took on a life of its own. It had originally been my intention for Kate to return the favor that Castle did, but I found myself writing the whole teasing thing because I felt it was hotter. What do you think? REVIEW!


	18. Shock in the Afterglow

Chapter 18:

Shock in the Afterglow

Castle was stunned. After finally making love to the woman of his dreams, he hadn't expected this. She had run from him again. Not far, he knew, but she'd still run. He didn't know what he had expected her to do exactly, but he had hoped that she would at least let him hold her afterwards. Now she was most assuredly in the bathroom, hiding from her emotions and the consequences of their actions.

He sighed, stretching and getting out of bed. Spotting his boxers, he put them on and proceeded to make his way toward the bathroom door. She had yet to make an appearance, nor make a sound. Raising a hand, he tentatively knocked on the door. Upon hearing no response, he tried again. This time, he could hear shuffling against the door as she scrambled to open the door.

Beckett had been lost in her own thoughts when Castle had started knocking. Her mind replayed what had happened between them almost as if it had been a dream. Her body was still deliciously sore from his attentions. The whole experience had been positively mindblowing, and that scared her. For the first time in her life, she finally knew what it was like to be completely and helplessly in love with someone. She had never dreamed that in a million years that Castle would incite such powerful feelings within her. Even though they had exchanged their mutual "I love you's", she had worried in the back of her brain that she was just saying it in the heat of the moment.

Shaking herself, she finally shifted off of the door and opened it to find Castle's concerned face peering down at her. Try as she might, she somehow couldn't meet his eyes. She was afraid that if she did, Castle would see how vulnerable she really was.

As if he sensed her true intent, he cupped her face and brought it up to meet his, thumbs lightly caressing the skin below her ear. She had to fight the rush of fire that his simple touches were giving her.

"Kate?" he asked softly, her name sounding like a gentle caress. He was trying so hard to get her to open up. He refused to allow her to shut him out. He leaned in to kiss her, but she wrenched herself out of his grasp so quickly and walked away. Out of frustration, Castle punched the wall, causing the pictures on it to rattle and sway precariously on their hangers.

Beckett grabbed her phone and clothes, dressing as quickly as she could before running out the back door to the beach. The moonlight greeted her, cloaking her in an almost comforting embrace. Picking up her phone, she quickly dialed her best friend.

"Hello?" Lanie answered groggily. "Kate? Are you okay? Did something happen?"

"I slept with Castle," Kate immediately began.

Complete silence followed, and Kate wondered if they had lost connection. After about thirty seconds, she heard her friend again.

"Wait. You did what now? Finally! How was he? How was it? Tell me everything!" Lanie exclaimed excitedly, her voice cracking with excitement.

"We were on the beach enjoying ourselves. He started teasing me, and before I knew it, we were back at the house and clothes were off. We didn't have sex right away. He concentrated more on my pleasure than he did his own. He didn't really let me focus on him at all during sex either. The whole experience was so indescribably good that I'm afraid it was a dream. After it was all over, I realized that I wanted to have him hold me. That scared me. I ended up bolting away from him and going to the beach. I'm still there, actually. I feel like I'm a coward. I just didn't know what to say to him. He was being so sweet and was so concerned about me. I never thought we'd be like this," Kate explained.

Lanie sat in silence, listening to her friend as she struggled through her explanation. Her heart broke for Kate as she heard the heartbreak in her voice.

"Do you regret it, then?" Lanie asked.

"Regret what? Being with Castle? No. I wouldn't change that for the world. I just wish that I could be as open and loving as he is. I wish I wouldn't have this incredible urge to run every time he gets close. I don't mean physically close, either. He wants to know the real me. I don't think I've ever let anyone in like that before. I've been completely comfortable putting up walls to prevent myself from falling for someone. I'm just so afraid that I'm going to get hurt. I know that this fear I have is irrational, and that we've discussed this before, but he really scares the hell out of me."

Lanie chuckled lightly before saying, "That's because you're in love, sweetie. You've never really allowed yourself to ever really let go with anyone. Hell, I wonder half the time what's going on in your head, and I'm supposedly your best friend. You've told him that you love him, and he's said it back. Everything should be a cake walk from here. I'm not saying that there won't be work involved in your relationship, but you've gotten a huge block out of the way. Admitting how you feel about the one you care the most about is truly half the battle."

"Thanks, Lanie. I guess I should go back inside and try to fix things between me and Castle. He's probably wondering where I am. It's kind of nice, you know? Having someone who worries about you, wondering where you are and who will come looking for you if you've been gone too long? I never thought I'd enjoy it. I always thought I'd be annoyed or something. I hope you have a good night and I will fill you in on more stuff later. I miss you."

"I miss you too, girl, but I'm glad you're enjoying yourself and getting your freak on with Writer Boy. It seriously took you long enough!"

Kate rolled her eyes before replying, "Oh, gee thanks," and quickly exchanging goodbyes.

After hanging up with Lanie, Kate turned and headed for home. She didn't even make it through the door before Castle met her there, enveloping her in a hug.

"I was so worried about you," he finally admitted when he finally let go of her moments later. "You ran off so quickly and without warning. I didn't know if I did something wrong. I didn't hurt you, did I?"

He watched, horrified, as a tear fell from her eye. Before he could even begin to comfort her, she smiled up at him.

"You didn't hurt me. If anything, you're the most gentle person I have ever known. I'm sorry that I ran out on you. What happened between us overwhelmed me a lot. You should know by now that I run when I feel too strongly about someone. I just have never felt a stronger connection with anyone but you. I wish I could rewind to before I freaked out so we could just bask in the afterglow of our lovemaking. I don't want to have any regrets when it comes to you."

His heart swelled, and he immediately gathered her up in his arms again and swung her around. He didn't care about anything else at that moment. Nothing else mattered except the woman in his arms. For the first time in his life, Richard Castle was completely content with the world.

"Well, if you want to snuggle," he said, waggling his eyebrows, "We still can. It may not be immediately after a lovemaking session, but it's better than nothing!"

She sighed contentedly from her place in his arms. At this point, he could suggest even the wildest activity, and she would have gone along with it just to be with him.

"You're on," she replied, giving him and wink. "Race you to the bedroom!"

With that, she dashed off, throwing clothes in every which way she could. It was almost like she was leaving a trail of them to follow. He wasn't about to question it. In his bed right now was a beautiful and gloriously naked woman that he loved and cared about so much. He followed suit, removing clothing as well. By the time he reached the bed, she was already underneath the covers. He joined her, pulling her close and inhaling the scent of cherries that he had come to adore so much.

Right then, he decided, there was no place he would rather be.

A/N: Wow! This chapter came out of nowehere. I know that everyone is still reeling from the last few chapters, but I felt that I needed some fluff in there as well. There will be more smutty goodness eventually, I promise. It's taking everything I have not to keep putting them into situations where they end up doing the horizontal mambo. Seriously, if the writers would take a hint from all of the fanfiction that's been written on this forum so far, everyone would be happier. Anyway, enough babbling. REVIEW!


	19. Breakfast is Served

Chapter 19:

Breakfast Is Served

Utter contentment.

That's the first thing Katherine Beckett felt when she woke the next morning. She and Castle had spent the night alternating between napping and lovemaking sessions, each seeming more passionate and steamy than the last. Who would have thought that it would only take two years before they came to this moment?

She turned in his arms then, watching him sleep. She truly found herself happily in love with someone for the first time in her life. Gently, she placed tiny kisses on his face, careful not to wake him. Her plan was foiled, however, when she felt him wrap his arms around her and flip her onto her back, pinning her beneath him.

Blue eyes met green in an intense stare down. Neither wanted to look away, lest they lose the fight. For a moment, Castle allowed himself to bask in the glory of physically besting her. However, the moment was shattered when she slapped him playfully on the chest.

"Get off."

"What makes you think I would ever do that?" he asked innocently, fluttering his eyelashes.

"Because I have to pee. Also, I'm rather hungry. Having sex all night can really make a person whip up an appetite."

"Aww, can't I entice you to go another round? I promise you'll like it," Castle pouted.

"I don't think you heard me. I. Have. To. Pee. And you are laying on my bladder. Therefore, if you don't want there to be an accident, I'd suggest you move. While you're at it, make yourself useful and make me breakfast."

"Geez, I never pegged you to be cranky when you first wake up in the morning. On second thought, I take that back. You're always pissed at me when I show up in the morning. Which suddenly concerns me. Why is that?"

"Castle, you weren't even supposed to be at the precinct after that first case. I was kind of hoping for a while there that this fascination you had with me would fade, and that you would go away and move on to the next leggy blonde who happened across your path. Then, you flaunted your sexual prowess almost every day for the last two years. I haven't really had the time to have a relationship because I work such odd hours. So yes, I was widely pissed at you for that. Recently, I found myself pissed off because as much as I tried, I still found myself falling for you. Now, if that has satisfied your morbid curiosity, can I go now?"

Sighing, Castle rolled off of her and allowed her to get up. Before she could walk out of his grasp, however, he caught her by the wrist, pulling her back.

"Castle, what….?"she broke off, mesmorized by the gesture, and wanting to see where this was headed. The intensity in his gaze was enough the make her heart race, and she prayed that he couldn't feel it.

Never taking his gaze from hers, he placed a kiss on the pulse point of her wrist. This simple action almost had her weak at the knees.

What was he doing to her? How was he able to have any effect on her?

He let go of her then, breaking their gaze and getting up out of bed himself. Bending over, he picked up his boxers and dressed himself, preparing to go in search of food while Kate hid from him. However, Kate had no intention of running. She wanted very much to slip back into bed with him and have another go.

That surprised her. Even though she wasn't exactly a stranger to sex, she had never really allowed herself to want another man. She felt that if she did, she'd end up disappointed. How was Castle able to change her mind? She loved him, that much she knew.

She closed her eyes for a moment, trying to see if she could direct her thoughts into seeing her future with Castle. She pictured their wedding day; the two of them smiling, acting goofy and so in love. The day they found out she was pregnant with their first child, and then its birth. She found herself wanting that life, and what shocked her even more is that she wasn't afraid to admit it.

Opening her eyes then, she looked at him. "Do you think this is going to go anywhere?"

Shocked by her question, his expression changed. He had never expected to hear that from her. He had always figured that whatever happened between them would happen on its own time, and that he wasn't going to rush things or overanalyze it. However, he knew that Beckett wasn't just some ordinary fling. He wanted to enjoy this and see where this new relationship would take them.

He could see that she was apprehensive of his answer, so he quickly rushed to reassure her. "I believe that this could be something permanent and real, yes. However, I know that this is also going to take a lot of work. I promise you there will be rough times. I promise you that there will be times where one or both of us will want to get out. But I do believe I would regret it if we didn't try. Does that answer your question?"

Leaning down to him, she gave Castle a gentle kiss on the lips, before shaking herself free of his grasp and walking away to the bathroom.

After shutting the door, Kate leaned herself against it and sighed, bringing one hand to her lips and touching them. It was as if she was trying to preserve the tingling feeling Castle's kisses always gave her. She prayed silently that she would always feel this way about him. After using the bathroom and taking a quick shower, she dressed herself and went in search of Castle.

The smell of something cooking quickly caught her attention as she walked toward the kitchen. There he was, in all of his naked glory, cooking breakfast for them. She paused for a moment, just content to watch him. Muscles rippled as he moved. She could never get tired of this.

He was so absorbed in the task at hand that he didn't hear her until he was turned around and pinned against the countertop by Kate. Blue met green as they shared a staring contest, neither willing to back down.

Reaching between them, she cupped the now raging erection that was poking her belly. His eyes closed with pleasure as she proceeded to stroke him.

"You know, Castle, most people know the rules of the culinary arts. Don't you know that it's dangerous to cook naked? Someone could just come along and-"

Swooping down on her knees then, she took him into her mouth, smiling at the moan that her action had evoked. She tongued the head of his cock, pleased when a drop of pre cum leaked out. However, before she could even really get going, she was rudely pulled away.

"Here I was, trying to make you a nice breakfast, and you try to ruin my plans. Now I can't stop thinking about other things I would like to do with you. You're very distracting."

"And what, pray tell, do you want to do to me?" she challenged, a slight smirk on her face.

"Well, if I had my way, you'd be on the kitchen table completely naked, and I'd have you for breakfast. So don't tempt me, Kate, unless you want that, too."

Backing away from him then, she slowly made her way toward the table and seated herself on top of it, slowly removing clothes as she went. Once naked, she seated herself on top of it, spreading her legs and giving him a wonderful view.

Cupping her breast and pinching a nipple, she slowly traced a trail to her already soaked pussy, dipping two fingers in and using her thumb to rub her clit.

"I think breakfast is served," she replied, watching him.

He didn't hesitate then. She had toyed with him enough. Walking as casually as possible, he made his way to the table and sat down in front of her, watching her continue to play with herself. He rose then, taking both hands away and pinning them above her head. Bending close, he traced her mouth with his, not quite kissing her, but not avoiding her, either. Just as she was starting to mewl in protest at his torment, he stopped, breathing hotly into her ear.

"Minx."

A/N: Sorry this took so long to get out! I've been having computer problems up the wazoo. My charger for my laptop has decided to not allow my laptop to charge (the connection is loose) and work has been crazy lately. I hope that you guys are still with me! I'm so sorry! *runs away from the angry mob* Please review!


	20. Hurtful Comparisons

Chapter 20:

Hurtful Comparisons

Castle had been mesmerized by the sight of her on his kitchen table, open and so ready for him. She taunted him with her words and actions, goading a response from him. She knew perfectly well what she was doing. She knew that she had him wrapped perfectly around her little finger. All she had to do was snap her fingers or look at him, and his brain was mush. He didn't think that was a normal reaction for guys, either. No guy he had ever met even began to insinuate how whipped they were. It was a pride thing.

So when he finally found himself snapped out of his reverie and saw her still reclined on the kitchen table, spread before him and idly playing with herself, it only took him seconds to act. He yanked her hand away and proceeded to begin taunting back, receiving positive feedback in response.

"Did you plan this, Kate? Did you know that I could never possibly have enough of you? That you're driving me positively crazy? Seeing you here before me like this, so open and trusting-it completely amazes me. I keep wanting to pinch myself to make sure that this isn't a dream, and that you're really here in front of me, allowing me to love you the way I do."

"Stop talking and love me then," Kate replied, giving him a devilishly sexy smile. "I'm not going to stay here like this all day. I would like to explore more of the area at least sometime before we have to go."

"Who says we ever have to leave?" Castle inquired, cocking an eyebrow. "We could always just stay here for the rest of our lives and live in the lap of luxury. I could write my books, and you could happily wait on me and fix me sandwiches…AHHH! Apples! Apples!"!

Kate had chosen at this point to grab ahold of his nose in a firm grip, giving him her best menacing glare.

"I'll tell you what, Richard Castle," she said through gritted teeth, "Katherine Beckett waits on no one. If anyone is going to do anything of the sort, you're going to be waiting on me! After all, I didn't exactly willingly agree to this trip, anyway."

He leaned toward her then, his breath fluttering hotly against her lips. Just for a moment, her eyes fluttered shut, certain that he was going to kiss her and end this sweet torment.

"Ah, but you're still here," he replied, shortly before lightly touching his lips to hers. It wasn't quite a kiss, but it still sent warm shivers down her spine in anticipation.

She let out a groan of frustration, wanting him to touch her, or do anything to her, so badly.

Seeing her frustration, he chuckled. "Problem, Detective?"

She sighed heavily, rolling her eyes in annoyance. "As a matter of fact, yes. Why do you insist on toying with me, thus torturing yourself as well? Seems a tad counterproductive, if you ask me."

"Maybe I just like to drive you crazy," he replied. "You make it so easy. I've never known anyone who reacts the way you do. Meredith and Gina were never this fun…"

Kate stopped him mid sentence with a harsh glare. "I don't ever want to be compared to any of your other conquests, Castle. I would like to think that I'm different…no, better….for you than they ever were. I don't think that they really took the time to get to know you. From what I've seen, I don't think they even cared for you at all! And what of Alexis? Do they even realize what a treasure she is? How much you value her? And Martha, despite her faults, is a good mother to you. She's there when it counts. I don't think Meredith or Gina have ever taken the time to get to know the people dearest to you. I love them both because they treat me with respect and dignity. Hell, Martha has been gunning for us to get together since we first met! So don't ever compare me to them."

Castle recoiled for a moment, as if she had slapped him in the face. "Are we really having this conversation right now? While you're naked on my table? Seriously? No offense, but I really don't want to be talking about my mother, much less my daughter, right now.

Kate shut her eyes against the hot tears that were beginning to form, not wanting to let him see just how upset she really was. Without preamble, she slid off the table and practically sprinted to the bedroom, slamming the door behind her. Castle stood there alone, gaping like an idiot, wondering what happened. One minute, she was naked and teasing them, being the sexy vixen he had come to love. The next, they were fighting. He knew better than to confront her again, but part of him wanted to so badly. He hoped that when she was ready, she'd come to him. He promised himself then, that he'd never hurt her again.

Upon entering the bedroom, Kate seemed to spring into action. She got dressed and began to busy herself with packing all of her belongings, intending to go home. She knew she was being irrational for getting so upset with Castle, but she couldn't exactly make him understand how much he had hurt her. She felt insignificant, so small and meaningless. She called Lanie.

"Girl! I haven't heard from you in days! Did you finally stop canoodling with Writer Boy and decide to come up for air?" she teased.

Kate couldn't hold back a slight sniffle. "Lanie, I need your help. I want to go home."

There was a long pause, and Kate checked her phone to make sure she hadn't dropped the connection. "Lanie?" she tried. "Are you still there?"

"Kate? What happened? Why do you want to come home? Did he hurt you?"

"Yes….no. I don't know. I just need to get out of here," Kate answered, beginning to get frustrated with her friend's interrogation.

"Okay, but as soon as you get home, we're going to talk about what happened. There's no way I'm letting him get away with hurting you."

"Alright, fine! I was naked on the kitchen table, and I was teasing him. I was trying my best to get him all riled up. Then he mentions that no one can drive him crazy quite like I do."

"Uh, Kate? I'm failing to see where he supposedly hurt you here."

"I'm not done! He then starts telling me about Gina and Meredith, and about how not even they could drive him as crazy as I do. I don't know why, but I thought he was comparing me, our relationship, everything….to them! And so I thought, how long will it be before he decides he's done with me?"

Lanie was silent on the other end for a moment. "I can't think of a good thing to say right now. I wish I could. If you want to come home, I'll help you. Call a cab, and I'll meet you at your apartment as soon as you get there with ice cream and chocolate. We'll watch those sappy girl movies you love so much."

"Thanks, Lanie. There's a reason why you're my best friend."

"I know. Now go on and come home."

The line went dead after that, signaling Lanie ended the conversation. Kate quickly found the number for a cab and had one on its way. Thinking better of it, she also went in search of Castle, but even though she searched through every room in the house, he was simply nowhere to be found. The cab showed up fifteen minutes later, so she grabbed her bags and headed home, never daring to look back.

Castle sure had a surprise waiting for him when he came home that night!

A/N: I know it's been a while, but I was having some serious writer's block. This chapter came to me in a dream, and I couldn't resist writing it out. Hope you enjoyed it, and sorry again for the delay! What do you think Castle will say or do when he finds out Kate left? You know what to do! REVIEW!


	21. It's Too Late To Apologize

Chapter 21:

It's Too Late To Apologize

After the argument with Kate, Rick had no idea how to feel, much less what to do. He was left utterly confused by her reaction and began to replay in his head the conversation from start to finish. He was trying to come up with what he had said that upset her, and found none. Shaking his head, he decided that he needed to go for a walk on the beach to clear his head, thinking that maybe some time and space would let Kate be able to recover and that they could work this out. She had been so distraught! He couldn't get the pained look on her face out of his head.

By the time he had returned to the house, the sun was beginning to set. He had stopped by a local flower shop in order to bring her a peace offering. He had expected to find her reading or doing something to release some steam, but as he walked through the house, something didn't feel right. As he rounded the corner to the bedroom, he noticed one of her bras lying on the floor. This was particularly unlike her to leave clothing out, but he thought that maybe she was doing laundry. Picking it up, he went to the door and knocked on it. However, it wasn't fully closed, and it swung open to reveal it completely empty and barren of her belongings. He began to check closets and the armoires, slowly becoming worried. He pulled out his cell phone to call her. Nothing happened. It just went straight to voicemail.

"Kate, it's me," he said, trying to hide the worry in his voice. "Please call me. Where are you?"

He then called Lanie, thinking that maybe she would know something about her friend. Lanie was less than happy when she picked up the phone.

"What do you want?" she demanded harshly.

"I'm sorry to bother you, but Kate's missing. I can't seem to find her anywhere. Her stuff is gone."

He heard her sigh on the other end, as if exasperated. "Look, I don't know what you did, because she won't tell me. But obviously you did something, because she's on her way home. She has made it perfectly clear that she doesn't want to have anything to do with you. So you, Writer Boy, are in deep shit. Now, what exactly did you do? I thought you guys were getting along great and having fun….and maybe getting a little freaky."

"I don't really know. I've spent all day literally going over the conversation we had in my head, and I can't exactly see where I went wrong. I know I obviously hurt her, but what the hell?"

"Well, start talking. Maybe I can help you. I am a girl, after all."

"Well, she was naked on the kitchen table, taunting me. So, naturally, I started taunting her. I told her that no one has ever made me feel the way she has. No one could ever make me react the way she can. Not even Meredith or Gina. I mean, sure….I was married to them and was attracted to both of them at one point, but I have never felt anything even remotely close to the way she makes me feel. So I naturally expressed this to her. Then, all hell broke loose. She got mad at me and went into the bedroom and slammed the door. I haven't seen her since. I went to take a walk to blow off some steam and to give her some space, but then I come home to find that she's not here. What the hell did I do?"

"I can tell you for a fact what your problem is," Lanie began. "You basically compared her to Meredith and Gina. I know you didn't mean to, but a girl likes to know, or at least think, that the relationship they have with their guy is different than any one they have ever had in the past. So whether you did it intentionally or not, you basically made her feel like your relationship with her is only temporary and doesn't mean anything to you. Which, I know isn't true on your end. You've been chasing after her since the day you met her, like a dog chasing after a meat truck. She loves you."

"What can I do to get her to talk to me? Is there something you can think of? Because as it stands, I think she is pretty much ignoring me."

"Don't feel bad. She does this to everyone. When something happens to her, something inside of her makes her shut off from all people. Eventually, she'll snap out of it, but it might be a bit of a wait. The point is, are you willing to wait and see how long it takes for her to let you back in? Your relationship with her might be over, but who knows? She's not really telling me a whole lot about what happened, either. All I managed to get out of her was that she wanted to come home. It doesn't take rocket science for me to figure out that something went wrong between you two. I'm just glad you told me the whole story."

"Do you think I should bother going to the precinct on Monday, then? I don't want to go and then have her give me the cold shoulder the entire time that I'm there. I want her to be comfortable. Plus, knowing her, she probably has told Esposito and Ryan to give me the cold shoulder as well."

"I can't help you there. As for Esposito and Ryan, you know how protective they are of her. She's like their baby sister, and you're unfortunately a person she likes, so they're naturally going to do everything in their power to keep her from getting hurt."

"Lanie, you have to believe me. I didn't mean to hurt her."

"I know that now, but she doesn't. My advice is for you to come home as soon as you can and see if she will talk to you. If she won't right now, wait a few days and try again. She can't ignore or avoid you for long. Eventually, she's going to have to face you."

"I'll head home tonight. I want to try to make this right as soon as possible. Will you help me?"

"I'll try to help where I can, but I can't make any promises that she'll be willing to hear me out. She knows that I pretty much have been advocating your relationship since day one, so she might shut me out for that very reason."

"Hey, that's all I ask. I'm grateful to have a friend like you."

"You owe me big time for this, Writer Boy. You have no idea how much."

After hanging up the phone with Lanie, Castle felt better about what was going on with Kate. He knew he had a lot of work ahead of him if things were ever going to be okay between them. However, he felt like she was worth the fight, and was willing to do whatever it took to win her heart again. He quickly packed his belongings, threw everything in the car, and drove as fast as he could toward home.

A/N: Another chapter, my lovelies! I decided that I was on a roll with this segment, and didn't particularly want to put off posting the rest. Let's hope I don't have any more bouts of writer's block! You guys have been so supportive of me throughout this entire adventure, and I really appreciate it. Your reviews are what encourages me to keep writing, so press that little button and leave me some love!


	22. Utter Torment

Chapter 22:

Utter Torment

For the first time in her life, Katherine Beckett felt that she was a coward. She had run away from the only man she felt that she had ever loved. Now, sitting alone in the darkness of her apartment, she allowed herself to weep. She didn't know if things were ever going to be repaired between the two of them. She was still unbelievably angry with him.

Earlier that day, she had gotten a slew of phone calls from him, but she, in her anger, ignored them all. He had left behind a singular message despite the many times he had called, and it broke her heart to hear the sheer anguish in his voice. She wanted to call him back, tell him not to worry, and that she loved him with all of her heart and soul…..but her pride and residual anger kept her from doing so. She wanted to teach him a lesson, to make him see that she wasn't like anyone else. Wasn't it he who had said that she was extraordinary? That seemed like ages ago, but she liked to think that she always was significant in his eyes.

_Well, _she thought to herself, _they do always say that the ones you love the most can also hurt you the worst. As usual, I'm the idiot. I let my guard down. I let him see the real Katherine Beckett. I'm not the hard ass that everyone thinks I am. _

She was startled out of her reverie when her phone rang. Checking to make sure that it wasn't Castle calling, she was pleasantly surprised to see that it was Lanie.

"Hey," she answered, trying to sound cheerful. It was amazing to her how draining that simple act really was.

"Drop the act, Kate. Listen, Castle called. He's extremely worried that something happened to you. After all, you did kind of disappear on him. He called me earlier looking for you."

"You didn't tell him where I am, did you?" Kate asked, suddenly worried. Even though she knew she had to talk to him, she wasn't ready.

"Of course I did! You should have heard him on the phone! By the way, he told me what happened, and I agree that he was an idiot at the time for saying those things to you, but he's trying to apologize, sweetie! He didn't know what he did to hurt you. I'm going to tell you right now that most guys usually don't. You know he wouldn't intentionally hurt you."

"I'm not ready to have any sort of conversation with him, Lanie. I'm still incredibly mad at him."

"Girl, I'mma smack you. You know what a good solution to this whole matter is? Call him and have him come over. Let him say his piece, and try to apologize to you. You can still be mad at him, which I wouldn't blame you, but at least allow him to have the peace of mind that everything's okay on the surface between you two. After that, have a little sex and call it a day. You know they say that make up sex is the best…"

"Stop."

"Stop what?" Lanie inquired, now becoming confused.

"I don't want to have sex with Castle. We never should have in the first place! I don't think I can work with him anymore after this. Why did I agree to go on this stupid trip anyway? I had a feeling that something bad was going to happen!"

"Well, logically, the Captain made you go. And you were enjoying yourself before he opened his mouth. Don't even try denying that. You fell hard for him, and you finally admitted it. Just promise me that when he comes to see you, you'll hear him out. You have no idea how upset he is. Let me ask you, does he even stand a chance with you if he apologizes?"

"I don't know, honestly. This whole relationship thing between us has happened so fast. I'm not sure where to go from here. We haven't been together even a week, and we're already trying to kill each other."

"And some couples are like that. But that doesn't mean you love each other any less. It just means you're both stubborn, and know how to piss each other off. Granted, sometimes that skill can be fun to utilize, but in your case, you're tormented. You love him too much to argue with him."

"Lanie," she sniffed, beginning to cry again, "I've really screwed up, haven't I?"

"Maybe. Just give it some time." With that, the line went dead, signaling the end of the conversation. She called in sick to work, saying that she wasn't feeling well and would be right as rain in a few days. The Captain sounded as if he was about to question her, but she wasn't going to have it. She needed time to think, to process what happened alone, and to figure out where to go from here.

Castle came home to a warm reception from his mother and daughter. However, that didn't last long when they picked up on the change in his demeanor.

"Richard," Martha began, "Why don't we have a drink? Where's Beckett? I thought she'd be coming with you."

"She's not, Mother. I don't know where she is. She disappeared on me today. Lanie says she went home. I really screwed up, and I don't know how to fix it."

"Why don't you go to the Precinct and see if you can find her? She can't avoid you forever. Have you ever seen the way she looks at you? That is a woman who worships the ground you walk on."

Castle chuckled, rolling his eyes. "Thank you, Mother, but I doubt she'll want to see me, much less talk to me. I can't even get her to answer her damn phone!"

"You love her, right?" At his hesitant nod, she continued. "Then do everything in your power to fight for her. In the end, love conquers all!"

With that, Martha left Castle alone with his thoughts. He was a writer, for God's sake! He should be able to think of dozens of ways to make himself look better in her eyes. However, when he tried to even think of one, he failed. She was such a conundrum, and he was most certain that any apology from him would be rejected. He couldn't get the look on her face out of his head.

Pulling out his cell phone again, he gathered up enough resolve to dial her number. When it again went to voicemail, he couldn't keep the torment from his voice.

"Kate, it's me again. Look, I know you went home. I talked to Lanie. I really need to talk to you. I want to work this out. You're the best thing that's ever happened to me, and I'll do anything to win your heart. I just wish you'd let me formally apologize. Call me as soon as you get this. I love and adore you, and always will."

Satisfied that he had left a message that didn't sound too pathetic, Castle went to bed. However, a long, restless night was in store for him. He'd confront her at the precinct tomorrow, he decided. She couldn't run away from him there.

With that thought, Castle drifted into a fitful slumber.

A/N: I'm loving writing this! Another chapter in the epic love story of Beckett and Castle is complete. Thanks to everyone for their love and support. I'm enjoying writing the emotions of all the characters, trying to keep them as much in character as I possibly can. Your responses to each chapter are amazing, and put a smile on my face. The more reviews I get, the more I'm encouraged to write, and the faster I can put my ideas into print for you to read. Much love, and REVIEW!


	23. Apology

Chapter 23:

Apology

The next morning, Castle scrambled as fast as he could to the 12th Precinct, hoping to find Kate there. However, no sooner had he entered the bullpen had he been intercepted by Ryan and Esposito. Both bore heavy frowns on their faces. Castle tried his best to lighten the mood, but to no avail.

"Hey guys," he greeted them. "What gives? What's with the ogre faces? I thought you'd be happy to not have quite as much to do this week. Where's Beckett? I've got to talk to her."

"You've got a lot of nerve showing up here, you know," growled Esposito. The way he was looking at Castle gave him the image of a Rottweiler about to kill.

"Yeah, dude. I'd scram if I were you," echoed Ryan.

Castle held up his hands in defeat. "All right guys, what did I do? I know I didn't take you with us on the trip, and forgot to bring you presents, but you're acting like you want to kill me. Talk to me."

"What did you do to her?" Esposito snarled, taking a step toward Castle.

Castle retreated slightly. He had never seen Esposito so angry with him before, and didn't know why he was so angry now. He realized then that perhaps Kate had called, warning them of what happened, and they were doing what they did best….which was protect her.

"Look, guys. I don't know what she told you…"

Esposito interrupted him. "That's just it. She's not talking. She won't say a damn word. So, naturally we figure you did something, but only because you're the only one on the planet that could upset her this much. You have no idea how much she cares for you, do you? Are you really that dumb?"

"Okay, yeah, I hurt her. And yes, I feel like a horrible person about it. I haven't been able to sleep because I know I hurt her. I never meant to. I love her. There, I said it. You can yell at me, arrest me, beat me up, or even kill me, but that wouldn't change the fact that I adore her and would give anything in the world just to make things right. All I want is for her to talk to me. I thought she'd be here. She can't avoid me forever."

"You didn't answer my question," Esposito glared at him. "What did you do?"

"I said something I shouldn't have. It's all so stupid now. I told her that I no one has ever made me feel like she does. And then I pulled out Meredith and Gina's names, and she went nuts. I've tried calling her, but she's been ignoring me."

"Then you should stop. She obviously doesn't want to talk to you. Give it up."

"Give it up? That's like telling me to stop breathing. God, are you even listening to me?"

"We hear you just fine. Look, if you really want to make this right with her, stop bugging her. The more you bug her, the more pissed off she'll be, and the less willing she'll be to hear you out. Beckett might not show it, but she's all irrational female. I generally stay out of it when she's in a bad mood as a rule. When she called in sick, she didn't sound it. Captain says she sounded really depressed about something, so we figured you're the reason why. Either that, or it's that time of the month."

"All right, I think I'm done here. You guys have been so unbelievably helpful," Castle replied, his voice dripping with sarcasm. He turned then, and left the precinct.

After talking with the boys, Castle felt worse than he had before. He stopped at a local flower shop to pick up a peace offering. He _was_ going to fix this. He couldn't just leave it alone. He felt that if he did, she'd never come talk to him. Or worse, she'd find someone to replace him…in _their_ relationship. He knew he wasn't exactly being rational, but in his writer's mind, he thought, _what exactly about love is rational_?

Thus renewed, he gathered his resolve and hailed a taxi, giving the driver Kate's address.

Kate was lying on the couch, a gallon of chocolate ice cream open on her lap. She knew she was hiding. Hell, she felt like the boys even knew she lied to them about being sick. So when a knock sounded at her door, she prepared herself for whatever lecture was to come her way. However, she didn't expect to find Lanie standing at the door.

"Hey," Kate greeted lamely.

When she didn't move to allow her inside, Lanie blinked. "You gonna let me in, or are we going to do this on your doorstep?"

Kate stepped aside, shutting the door behind her friend. Lanie scoffed at her.

"Are you gonna tell me what's with you today? The boys called and said you didn't come to work, so I'm coming to check on you. Are you still upset about Castle? He showed up at the Precinct looking for you, and he seemed just as upset as I'm sure you're feeling. I take it you haven't talked to him?"

"No. He's called several times, but I don't know what to say. I mean, I'm still upset with him for saying those things."

"You can still be upset with him and hear him out at the same time, you know. Being around him makes you happy. Don't lie to me. I haven't ever seen you this happy around a guy in….well, never. You don't see it, but your eyes light up when he walks into a room. You smile and laugh more. You let people see the real you, not this hard as nails girl you're trying to play. He's good for you. Stop fighting it."

Just then, there was a knock on the door. When Kate didn't get up to answer it, Lanie took it as a hint that she should. She wasn't surprised when she saw Castle on the other side.

"Is Kate here? I really need to talk to her."

Lanie snorted. "Yeah, you do. Go on ahead, I was just leaving anyway. Talking to her is like talking to a brick wall. Maybe you're going to have some better luck." With that, Lanie excused herself and left.

Castle walked in and softly shut the door. Kate seemed uneasy, curled up on the couch, never making eye contact or acknowledging his presence.

"Hey," he began.

When she didn't budge, he sat down on the couch next to her. Taking one of her hands in his, he marveled how tiny she was. She flinched as he did so, but didn't pull away.

"Look, Kate. I'm really sorry for the things I said yesterday. I had no idea it would upset you. I wasn't saying those things to you to be negative. You mean so much more to me than anyone else in this world. I didn't even know I had hurt you until after you had left. I called everyone I could think of freaking out because I couldn't find you. I thought something bad had happened to you. You weren't answering my calls. So I called Lanie, who proceeded to give me a long winded lecture about how I had really hurt you. Now, I feel like the biggest asshole ever. If there was a way that I could rewind and start that day over between us, I would. But I can't. I can only try to make things better for the future. And I can't promise that I will always be charming, or that there won't be more fights. I can only promise that at the end of the day, I'll still be here for you. I told you I loved you, and I meant it. I just know that if I don't try to make things right with you, I'm going to regret it for the rest of my life."

"And what am I supposed to say to all of this? That I forgive you, that I love you too and then fall into your arms and live happily ever after?"

"If you don't mean it, or don't want to, then don't. I only want your honest reply. No bullshit. If you've decided that you don't want to be with me anymore, then that's fine. I'll stop talking to you. I'll stop coming to the Precinct if that's what you want. Don't you get it? I'd do anything for you to make you happy. And if that means doing something that would kill me, like separating myself permanently from you, then I'd do it."

Fighting back the tears in her eyes, Kate let out a shaky breath. "I don't want you to leave. I just….wasn't prepared for this. Things are just happening so fast between us. I don't know how to process it all. We also fight a lot."

"Not to be judgmental here, but we always fight. Where have you been the last few years? It's what we do. At the end of the day, we're still together. Our differences make our relationship what it is."

Kate looked at him shyly through her lashes. "I don't want to fight anymore."

Castle smiled back at her. "I don't either. And I'm going to spend a lot of time making it up to you."

"You don't have to. Really. I'm okay."

"I know I don't have to, but I want to. Seriously, let me spoil you, and treat you like the princess you are."

Kate snorted, and then smiled. "I'm no princess. And I could kick your ass for saying that."

"I know. Hey, look at you! It's been a while since I've seen you smile. I missed that. Well, I guess I'd better go. It's getting late. I'll see you tomorrow."

He turned to get up, but felt her hand close around his wrist. "Stay," she said.

"What?"

"Stay the night with me, please. I'm not ready to be alone just yet."

He lay on the couch then, allowing her to stretch out on top of him with her head on his chest. She eventually began to fall asleep to the sound of Castle's heart beating beneath her cheek. Castle kissed the top of her head, wrapping his arms around her.

"I've got you, Kate," he murmured. "Always. I love you."

With that, Castle fell into a blissful, dreamless sleep.

A/N: Aww! Another chapter down, but there's still more story left! Hope you guys are still with me! Your reviews are like candy for me.


	24. You're Still Here

Chapter 24:

You're Still Here

When Castle woke up the next morning, the first thing he noticed was that he was weighed down by something. Cracking an eye open, he was greeted by a mass of brown curls that could only have belonged to one person.

Kate.

Smiling, he hugged her closer, content for the moment to just hold her. He marveled at how content she seemed to stay there. It always amazed him at how much of a snuggler she was when she slept. He would have expected that she would have been the exact opposite given her waking personality. This was a side that he found himself eager to get used to, and quick to fall further in love.

After a few minutes of watching her, it was as if she sensed his presence. Green eyes met blue as she gazed up at him sleepily, trying her best to stifle the yawn she felt coming.

"You're doing it again," she murmured sleepily, sweeping a lazy hand over her hair. "It's kind of creeping me out."

"I just can't get over how beautiful you are in the morning. I know I'm being sappy, but hell! I give up. You have me totally under your spell."

With that, he flipped them over so that she lay beneath him, and he began to place tiny kisses on her face and neck, hoping to drive her crazy.

He was torturing her. He was doing delicious things with that mouth of his, and he hadn't even kissed her yet! She spread her legs a little to allow him to settle between them, causing his very prominent erection to fall and grind against her. Castle groaned at the friction she had caused, and the result sent shock waves down her entire body to a place she couldn't name. The vibrations continued, and Kate dimly registered its tempo. It felt odd, almost as if something continued to make those sensations without his touching her. It was then she realized his phone was ringing in his pants pocket.

Weakly, she tried to shove him off so that he might answer it, but he was persistent. So, she tried a different tactic. Reaching between them, she placed her hand on his groin, alternating between lightly squeezing and rubbing him. He stopped his ministrations almost instantly, groaning out his pleasure. When he realized he was approaching the brink of no return, he grabbed both of her wrists, bracketing them over her head with one hand. Breathing harshly, he stopped to gaze at her. Her neck was mottled with light red scratches from his stubble, but he had never seen her look so incredibly sexy before.

"I think your phone was ringing," Kate managed to say when she finally caught her breath.

"Really? And you chose NOW to tell me? Here I was, so incredibly turned on by you, and those simple words killed it for me."

She chuckled at him. "Sorry, Castle. Sounds more like a personal problem to me."

Groaning, he rolled off of her long enough to be able to reach into his pants pocket and retrieve his phone. She was right, he soon discovered, for he had four missed calls from Alexis. She was probably worried sick about him since he didn't come home last night. Before Kate could take the opportunity and get away from him, he rolled back on top of her, phone to his ear.

"Dad!" Alexis's worried voice answered almost immediately. "Where are you? I thought you said you'd be home last night, so when you didn't come home, Gram and I got worried. We've been waiting up all night for you!"

"Sorry sweetheart, turns out apologizing to Detective Beckett takes a lot more effort than it takes most women. I ended up passing out at her place, and forgot to call you so you wouldn't worry."

"Gross, Dad. There's some things about you and Beckett that I really don't need to know."

"I'm serious, although I will say that I slept on her couch. Anyway, why don't you stay home for the day and try to catch up on your sleep?"

Castle could practically see her daughter rolling her eyes in exasperation before she answered. "I can't. I have two tests and a midterm paper due today, and I want to get a head start on a few projects I have due soon."

"That's my little overachiever, always working so hard!"

"Well, someone has to."

The conversation between them didn't last too much longer after that. After making sure Alexis told his mother where he was, that he was alive and not to worry, he hung up the phone.

"I'm such an idiot. I should have called them. Now, where were we?"

Kate chuckled. "I don't know how you do it, Castle, but you have a one track mind."

He smiled back at her. "I'm a guy. It's what guys do. Besides, it seemed like you were enjoying yourself."

"Yeah, until your daughter became the mood killer. I'm hungry. Why don't you make yourself useful and fix me some breakfast? I haven't fully decided if I've forgiven you yet."

"Minx!" he exclaimed, before leaning in to kiss her.

His action wasn't exactly wanted. She tilted her head at the last second, and his lips brushed her cheek.

"Uh uh," she said, grimacing. "Brush your teeth first. Morning breath."

Rolling his eyes, he picked himself up off of her and trounced indignantly to the bathroom.

"Women," he muttered, smiling to himself before closing the door. That woman never ceased to amaze him.

Kate smiled to herself as he walked away, deciding to get up and prepare breakfast. She opened her refrigerator and scanned it for prospects of edible food. Finding nothing, she decided that she and Castle were just going to have to go out.

"There's no food," she called over her shoulder when Castle emerged from the bathroom. "My fridge seems to be empty. I'm sorry. You stayed the night, and now I feel like I'm such a crappy hostess."

Castle took her by the hand and smiled at her. "It's okay. I was kind of hoping I'd get to treat you to breakfast anyway. You've done incredibly well playing the hostess, but it's my turn to make you feel like the princess you are. Why don't you go get dressed, and we'll go find something to eat?"

When she didn't immediately respond, he came up behind her and began to place tiny nibbling kisses on her neck.

_Damn, he Is way too good at this_, she thought, tilting her head to the side for better access and letting a low growl rise from her throat in approval.

"Seriously, Kate. If we don't get out of this apartment, I just might eat you alive. People might wonder what happened to us. It would be very devastating."

Turning slightly, Kate gave him a sly glance. "Really? Is that so?"

"Pretty much, yeah."

Kate swallowed. "Well, then," she said, taking a cautious step further into his arms, "consider your challenge accepted."

A/N: Woo hoo! Another chapter written! I'm also seriously beginning the first chapter of my new fanfiction, to be posted soon. I might wait until this one is finished, though. Thank you all so much for your reviews and responses to my story so far! I'm loving every minute of this. I hope as I continue writing more fics, I will always keep all of you entertained. I love writing! Please continue to REVIEW!


	25. Epilogue: Back to Work, New Beginnings

Epilogue:

Back to Work, and New Beginnings

Castle and Beckett spent the rest of the night making up for lost time, alternating between making passionate love to just holding each other in slumber. They both knew that they would have to face the music and go back to work eventually, so when the time finally came, they were both very nervous as how to handle it. They had never exactly addressed the nature of their relationship to anyone before, at least not when the other was around. Both were eager to see what the other would have to say.

Monday morning saw the detective and writer scrambling to get ready for work, all the while dealing with the obvious distraction of having the object of their affection around to tempt them. By the time clothes were firmly put on, they were running almost an hour later than usual. Kate was sure that she would catch hell from the boys. They didn't particularly like being the first ones at the Precinct. She worried that they would see this as just another excuse to not come into work, and had either of them tried it on her, she'd most definitely look down upon them for that. Murder never slept, although there was always a dead body…and even though it never went anywhere, she always felt it was her duty to give the closure to those that mattered most to the victims.

She turned to Castle as they were just about to exit the apartment, biting her lip. Sensing her hesitation, he also halted, arching a brow in question.

"Castle, we need to tell them. Address this. Us. To Ryan, Esposito, and Captain Montgomery. I've never been in, or allowed myself to be put in a situation like this before."

"Well, I should hope not. We best selling novelists tend to avoid this line of work. Most of us just use our imaginations. However, when I got the chance to shadow you, I couldn't help myself. I loved you since the moment you approached me at my book signing. This is nothing new, nor should it be to you."

"I know. I just don't want things to get awkward. There have to be some ground rules or something."

"I know how to keep it professional. I think I've done a pretty damn good job of it over the years. You had no idea I was head over heels for you until I said something."

"Yeah, but everyone else did, even suspects. That affects my performance. As much as I enjoy kissing you and having you touch me, I don't think I could handle it at work."

Castle smirked. "Afraid you won't be able to keep your hands off of me, huh?"

"Not funny."

"Who's joking? I was being perfectly serious!"

"Let's just keep the PDA at home. End of discussion. Now, if you don't mind, we're late. We have work to do."

"All right, but you don't have to be so pushy about it! I have feelings too, you know."

Kate and Castle made it to the Precinct in record time. Castle was pretty sure that Kate had broken several traffic laws in order to make it. The streets were congested with many cars and pedestrians hurrying to get to work. As they rode on the elevator in silence, Castle suddenly had a crazy idea pop into his head and stopped the elevator between floors. Grabbing Kate roughly by her coat, he pulled her in for a deep and passionate kiss, tongues coming out to duel for dominance. He backed her up against the elevator wall, using it for leverage as he picked her up. She wrapped her legs around his waist to hold on to him as he continued his assault, and he ground into her with his pelvis. She felt a rush of wetness flood her core as she felt how excited he was.

Just as it had begun, it was over. Castle released her with a groan, almost pushing her away with force. Kate stared at him with a stunned look on her face, lips parted and swollen from his kisses. She quickly recovered, swiping a shaky hand through her hair and straightening her clothes.

"That wasn't professional, Castle. I should kick your ass for that."

"Why? Because you enjoyed it? Sucks for you."

"No, because I specifically told you to keep the PDA at home."

"Well, technically we're not at work quite yet, and we're out of eyesight. So I don't see what the problem is."

She rolled her eyes, pushing the button to get the elevator rolling again. "I hate you."

"No, you don't. And I happen to be an expert on that subject."

Before she could respond, the doors opened onto their floor, and the detective and writer strode in under the scrutinizing gazes of Detectives Ryan, Esposito, and Captain Montgomery.

Before she could even get a word in, Castle spun her around to face him, ignoring her protests as he dipped her into another of his deep kisses. As he pulled her back up, he turned his head to face them.

"That answer any of your questions?" he asked, flashing a smile.

"Well, you're still alive, but she is glaring at you. So I'm guessing you two are an item now," Esposito replied, narrowing his eyes. "If that's the case, you'd better not hurt her. You'd be answering to me and Ryan, and we'd make your body disappear without a trace so fast that you wouldn't even blink."

"Yes, we are together. And I would love to have a lifetime of happiness with her. I love her. You guys should know this by now."

"Oh, believe me….we do. We just weren't sure if this little stunt you pulled last week meant you were letting her in on your little secret charade too."

Kate chose at that particular moment to break her silence. "He did. It was all very sweet. Now, if you don't mind, I would really love it if we could just get back to work."

"Not a problem, boss," both boys replied in unison, returning to their desks to begin another day of paperwork.

"Welcome home, Beckett and Castle," Captain Montgomery said with a slight smile. "You have plenty of work piled up yourself."

Sighing, the two retreated to their respective desks, shooting each other intense glances when the other wasn't paying attention.

A/N: Thank you all so much for your support as I finished my story! You guys are awesome. If you want another Caskett treat, be sure to check out my other fic, "Murder at The Gilded Stallion"! Peace, love, and REVIEW!


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